Kakame figures were carved from the naturally formed pieces of wood found in the bush. The likeness of the wood to human form (the natural branching resembling a torso with legs) imbued these pieces with supernatural, magical powers. It has been suggested that these figures represent a mythological ancestor and were ritually used in the initiation ceremonies of young men. "Such figures of women were pressed on boys necks during initiation ceremonies as part of their instruction to keep their heads down in fighting." (Newton 1967)

Provenance:
Bruce Frank, New York, 2003
Allen Christensen Fund, Queensland

Publishing History:
Robert Welsch, Virginia-Lee Webb, Sebastian Haraha. Coaxing the Spirits to Dance: Art and Society in the Papuan Gulf. New Hampshire, Hood Museum of Art, 2006: 94 (Fig.153).

Fred Stern. "Tribal Treasures." Artnet.com Magazine, June 8, 1999.

Exhibition History:
Coaxing the Spirits to Dance: Art and Society in the Papuan Gulf. Hood Museum of Art, New Hampshire, April 1 - September 17, 2006 and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York October 24, 2006 - December 2, 2007.