Ethnic Cultures of Asia: Religious Carvings from Melanesia
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Female Funerary Figure (Kulap), Second half of the 19th century (Gift of Mr. Yoshijima Tokiyasu)
Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 13
October 25, 2022 (Tue) - January 15, 2023 (Sun)Located directly south of Japan, the South Pacific is comprised of tens of thousands of islands, including New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago. Around 4,000 years ago, humans migrated from mainland Asia out to these Pacific islands, where they developed their own unique cultures and beliefs.
Melanesia encompasses the southwestern region of the South Pacific and is home to many cultures where spirit worship is widely practiced, including ancestor worship. These spirits are traditionally represented in a rich array of forms, such as masks and funerary figures called kulap. This section of the gallery is currently showcasing Melanesia’s unique religious carvings, including spirit masks used in funerary rites and a wooden crocodile.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Male Funerary Figure ("Kulap") | New Ireland, Melanesia | Second half of the 19th century | Gift of Mr. Yoshijima Tokiyasu, TK-2011 | |||
| Highlight | Female Funerary Figure ("Kulap") | New Ireland, Melanesia | Second half of the 19th century | Gift of Mr. Yoshijima Tokiyasu, TK-2193 | |||
| Highlight | Crocodile | Northeastern region of New Guinea, Melanesia | Second half of the 19th–start of the 20th century | Gift of Mr. Fujikawa Seijirō, TK-2804 |