Skull Rack (Agiba)
Place made:Gulf province, Papua New Guinea
Culture: Wapo
Date: early- 20th century
Medium: Wood and pigment
Dimensions:
h. 44 in. (111.7 cm)
Credit Line: San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Gilbert M. Denman, Jr.
Object number: 77.1035
Label Text
This typical Eastern New Guinea figure, representing a skull idol, or "agiba," is carved from a single board in shallow relief and painted with lime. "Agibas" were kept in the cult house, and to them were affixed the skulls of dead enemies. On Goaribari Island in 1901, before razing the ceremonial houses in retaliation for the killing of the missionary James Chalmers, the punitive expedition counted 700 skulls attached to one "agiba" and 400 to another.
On view
In Collection(s)
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
