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Spirit board, Titi Ebihai (personal name, Mobei), C-14 dating: 18th–19th century (inconclusive % probability)
Wood, pigment, upper portion blackened by fire
256.5 x 68.6 x 10.2 cm (101 x 27 x 4 in.)
The Marcia and John Friede Collection, a Promised Gift to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco L05.1.75
Artist Biography: (none)
PROVENANCE: "Collected by Thomas Schultze-Westrum in 1966." (Catalog #478, New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, 2005, Volume 2, p. 165.)
EXHIBITIONS: 1972 - Olympic village, Munich, 1972, "Weltkulturen and moderne Kunst."
PUBLICATIONS: 2005 - "These boards represented spirits who played a role with regard to headhunting. During nightly dances in the ceremonial house of the village, a man would hold the titi ebihai in front of him with both hands and move it right and left. A burning piece of wood or ember was stuck into the hole at the top.
When it was collected, this exceptional heirloom was being guarded by an old man in an abandoned ceremonial house. Although it was found at the nearly abandoned village of Aimahe, it was said to have come originally from Otoia on the Omati River, the place of origin of the Kerewo people, where it had been made by a man named Moiha, long before 1900. According to its collector, this spirit board must be the oldest remaining Kerewo titi ebihai. It had been displayed in the Bihure section of the ceremonial house (dubu daimu), named Gewo, at Otoia. This titi ebihai once had a partner, named Aribu, which had a complete human figure carved on it. Apparently, that one was sold a long time ago to a European and now, unfortunately, cannot be located (Schultze-Westrum, 1972, text re fig. 64). Spirit boards with complete human figures may be male, those without bodies, like the present example, female (Smidt, unpublished field notes, Dopima village, Goaribari Island, 1971).
The concentric circles around the face are called titi, meaning ornament or decoration (Schultze-Westrum, 1972, text re fig. 64). This type of design is discussed in Newton, 1961: 59 and figs. 120-22; the objects shown here were collected between 1905-12. See also Lewis-Harris for a smaller spirit board with similar design (but only three circles around the face) from the north coast of Goaribari Island. The execution of these motifs on Mobei is exceptional." (Catalog #478, New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, 2005, Volume 2, p. 165.)
1972 - Schneckenburger, 1972, no. 2047, fig. on 538 (close-up of face); Schultze-Westrum, 1972: 138, pl. 64 (close-up of face); text on 209-10.
Related Keywords
Ebihai Titi board Spirit Francisco San Museums Arts Fine Gift Promised 165 p 2 Volume 2005 Friede John Marcia Jolika Masterpieces Art 478 Catalog 1966 Westrum Schultze Thomas Collected spkrs lang Kerewo people Kerawo Goaribari opp mainland vill Aimahe Oceania Province Gulf Guinea New Papua Melanesia object Ritual fire by blackened portion upper pigment 1 wood Width edges PL espeicially fragile bottom top out Sticks Mobei name Personal 1217200409230005 A360990 L05.1.75 AOA
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