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Spirit pole, Bis, early 20th century
Wood, pigment
106 5/16 x 10 5/8 x 35 7/16 in.
Museum purchase, Mrs. Paul L. Wattis Fund 2000.172.4a-b

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Artist Biography: (none) PROVENANCE: "Collected by Paul Wirz. Serge Brignoni Collection, Bern, Switzerland." (Catalog #514, New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, 2005, Volume 2, p. 173.) EXHIBITIONS: Neuchatel, Switzerland, 1970 PUBLICATIONS: 2005 - "The bis is used by the coastal people of central Asmat to commemorate persons killed by headhunters. As such, it is one of the etsjopok objects, which are intended to urge relatives of the dead to avenge their deaths (van Renselaar, 1961: 8). The iconography of this bis represents a kind of soul ship, with a small dug-out canoe below and a greatly enlarged prow consisting of the carved figures and the flaglike projection, seen as the penis (cemen). However, not all bis have the dug-out canoe. Many have a pointed end that may be stuck in the ground, making an upright display position possible. By and large, in central Asmat (e.g., Bismam and Simai) bis are displayed upright, their pointed ends stuck in the ground (see Helfrich, 1995, figs. 8.4-8.14). In the Becembub area and the northern part of the Casuarina coast, a number of them have the canoe-carved end and are displayed in a slanting position although not exclusively, for they may also be attached to poles with pointed ends (see Gerbrands, 1967: 140-42). See van Renselaar, 1961:8-10 and Ursula and Gunter Konrad, 1996 for descriptions of the bis ceremony (bis pokumbu). To understand the meaning of the bis and most other Asmat objects created, it is necessary to grasp their concept of headhunting, which was the principal focus of their society. In 1959, Father Gerard Zegwaard, m.s.c., published a seminal article on the subject in the American Anthropologist, which is still considered a classic. His excellent text is often quoted, for example by Brian Casey, who provided a lively statement on this subject in "Voices of the Mwai," an exhibition leaflet published by Southern Methodist University, Houston, in 1978. "'Bah, a pig's head is but a pig's head. Why not replace it with a human head? That would be somthing, I think.' This excerpt from an Asmat myth tells how one brother, Desoipitsj, persuades his young brother, Biwiripitsj, to take his head. The talking decapitated head of Desoipitsj then teaches the ceremonies and practices of headhunting. Headhunting, the acquisition of a human for his skull, was in the early 1960s, still practiced by the Asmat. Living along the southwest coast of New Guinea, the Asmat undertake headhunting raids in preparation for male initiations as well as for revenge. The building of a new men's house or an ancestor pole may also require a head. Headhunting is part of the strong Asmat belief in spirits. Spirits of ancestors and enemies play an important role in the actions of the living. Everything in the tropical surroundings of the Asmat is imbued with some spirit. Most often these are a hindrance to man. The spirits, especially those of decapitated victims, will want to take revenge; thus, the fierceness of headhunting can be see as an attempt to satisfy or avenge a spirit and urge him to retreat to the spirit world. Often an entire village will perform frenzied ceremonies to this end. However, the capture of a head is the capture of a spirit as well. This is seen during male initiation. Before becoming a man, a boy must take a skull. This taking of a spirit proves him to be strong and allows for a place of respect in the community. Through the exacting ceremony described by Desoipitsj, the initiate will assume the power of the victim. For days the skull of the victim will be placed between the legs of the initiate, near his genitals, where the spirit of the deceased will be transferred. Then both skull and initiate are taken to the sea. Along the way the young boy feigns getting old, then falls as if dead. After immersion in the water, he comes out reborn, now a man. To further facilitate this taking of a spirit, the initiate will assume even the name of his victim (for this reason it is imperative the name be found out before a killing). Among the clans, even the victim's relatives will obey tradition and welcome the killer as one of their own family. Indeed these customs may seem strange at first sight, yet each act during the ceremony is highly symbolic, most often revolving around nature or reflecting the ancestral spirit cult. Ceremonies and actions are strictly regulated throughout the Asmat area. Because of this, great care is taken when the Asmat execute their headhunting raids. The skull is of great importance, and is decorated with beads, shells, and feathers. It is obtained to ensure passage into manhood. It is kept as a symbol of prestige and spiritual strength. It also has great power in causing spirits to retreat (spirits cannot stand the sight of their own bones or skull). For the Asmat, the skull is the representation of attaining an ideal of the perfect man. Headhunting has long been associated with cannibalism. However cannibalism is not the main purpose and is in fact hardly practiced. During the initiation ceremony the initiate is forbidden to partake of the meat, although the old men are known to eat the brains of the victims. Headhunting is instead a religious act to insure growth, to drive away spirits, and to gain prestige, particularly in the eye of the women. They urge the men to revenge the death of a close male relative and formally perform the task of ritual decapitation (a man may do that on their behalf though). Other factors at play are the need to prevent enemy attacks and to enlarge one's own territory. Headhunting requires political leadership in order to make alliances with other groups for both offensive and defensive purposes. It also requires economic scheduling of resources through marriages with several women as these provide access to sago-palm groves and fishing grounds. Thus a surplus of sago can be obtained and distributed to other men in order to form alliances for warfare during ceremonial feasts which frequently culminate in headhunting raids. The Asmat do not treat headhunting lightly, but the with the greatest of respect. It is a necessary act to insure their continuation as a people." (See Zegwaard, 1959, Eyde, 1967, and Knauft, 1933)." (Catalog #514, New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, 2005, Volume 2, p. 173.)

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Bis pole Spirit Fund Wattis L Mrs purchase Museum 173 p 2 Volume 2005 Friede John Marcia Jolika Masterpieces Art Guinea New 514 Catalog Switzerland Bern Brignoni Serge Wirz Paul by Collected subgroup Becembub people Asmat Oceania Papua West Indonesia Architectural pigment Wood figures two 1217200409230004 A355933 2000.172.4a-b AOA