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Female pendant figure, Mimia, 19th–early 20th century
Wood, lime
33 x 2.5 x 7.6 cm (13 x 1 x 3 in.)
The Marcia and John Friede Collection, a Promised Gift to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco L05.1.58

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Artist Biography: (none) PROVENANCE: "Devéze Collection, Avignon, France; Gaston de Havenon Collection, New York." (Catalog #489, New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, 2005, Volume 2, p. 167.) PUBLICATIONS: 2005 - "These figures were used in the mimia ceremonies of the Kiwai people, which were described by Douglas Newton (1961: 10) as follows. The mimia cycle of ceremonies "is intended to harden the younger men's spirits and to ward off sickness; in it, the men fight in the darimo [men's ceremonial house] with flaming coconut-leaf torches. These torches have first been touched to wooden images of men and women lined up along the sides of the aisle; being attached to a rope, these are made to sway in unison during the moments when the men dance. Some of these figures are nearly life-size; small ones attached to them are their 'children.' Other small and flat figures of men and women, also called mimia , are carried slung around the necks of the initiated, hanging on the chests of the men, down the backs of the boys: the sight is said to fill the women with joy. The large mimia figures are also carried in the prows of the war canoes on raids and are swung toward the enemy villages so that their spirits may go ahead and weaken the opponents. In war, the head is the prized trophy; only small fragments of the victim's flesh are eaten-with some revulsion-as a magical practice." See pl. 490 and 493. For comparable figures, see Newton, 1961: 41, figs. 61; Lewis-Harris, 1996: 13 (left). Edge-Parrington, 1890, pl. 198 also describes this ceremony, and calls the pendant figures urumuruburu." (Catalog #489, New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, 2005, Volume 2, p. 167.) 1951 - Rousseau, Apollinaire, and Tzara, 1951, fig. 110.

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Mimia pendant Female Francisco San Museums Arts Fine Gift Promised 167 p Volume 2005 Friede John Marcia Jolika Masterpieces Art 489 Catalog York Havenon de Gaston France Avignon Dev*ze people Kiwai Oceania Province Western Guinea New Papua Melanesia Sculpture 3 4 2 x 8 1 14 figure ethe mak base so mount into embedded Feet lime white inlaid design incised wood piece one Carved 0709200406050097 A360973 L05.1.58 AOA