Description:

A Fine Old Yina Figure, Kwoma People, Waskuk Area, Upper Sepik River, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea,
on a custom stand. Mid-20th Century.

Yina is one of three distinct ceremonies held annually in the villages of the Kwoma, Nukuma and Mayo speakers of the Upper Sepik River, in a region generally referred to as the Waskuk Hills. These ceremonies are associated with the harvesting of yams.

Yina is the first of the yam harvest ceremonies. The basic iconographic feature is a highly stylized representation of the human head. Yina represent spirits known as sikilawos, which have great power and are responsible for the continuing fertility of the yam gardens.

Ritual leaders organize the Yina ceremony at yam harvest time. The next two ceremonies featuring their own.

Older Yina's are hidden in garden huts, away from the village. They have acquired power over time and through use. New carvings are required from time to time; power is not inherent, but develops in the process of carving and painting. They are repainted each year for the ceremonies as the colours are part of the power of the Yina figures.

Provenance:
The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic Art

  • Dimensions: H 69 cm

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