Keram, Yuat, Karawari & Blackwater Rivers
Ruff’s impression of Kambot village architecture, taken from an old photo from the early 1900’s.
Only one ceremonial house exists in present day Kambot.
Ruff’s impression of the architecture and activities of Kambaramba village taken from an old photograph.
Present day Kambaramba has no ceremonial houses with projecting gables.
Carved house step topped with a male figure, houses in the background show the steps in use.
Beside the steps are two views of the carved figure.
Location and date unknown.
Kambot area carving in the collection of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology, Lae, PNG.
Collected in the 1970’s, but believed to be a style from earlier days.
Ruff drawing of a Kambot carving, Museum of Primitive Art (now in the Metropolitan Museum) New York.
From Newton, D - New Guinea Art in the Collection of the Museum of Primitive Art, New York Graphic Society, New York, 1967, p 46, #63.26.
Bark painting by Simon Novep, Kambot village, 1974.
Ruff drawing from a photograph by Helen Dennett (#11A, row 6, Dennett sheet 3A, PNG Architectural Heritage Centre).
Sigmund Manua Mambesi bark painting, Kambot village, 1974.
Ruff drawing from a photograph by Helen Dennett (#12A, row 4, Dennett sheet 3A, PNG Architectural Heritage Centre).
Drawing of a bark painting from Newton, D - "New Guinea Art in the Collection of the Museum of Primitive Art", New York Graphic Society, New York,1967, p 45, who indicates "The X-ray style of the torsos displaying some of the internal organs, is most unusual."
Attributed to the Kambot, Keram River.
Collection of the Museum of Primitive Art, New York. (Now in the Metropolitan Museum, #56.264).
Enlarged details of a Kambot bark painting (previous entry), as illustrated in Newton, D - "New Guinea Art in the Collection of the Museum of Primitive Art", New York Graphic Society, New York,1967, p 45.
Museum of Primitive Art Collection, #56.264.
Also shown in Guiart, J - "Arts of the South Pacific", Braziller, New York, 1963, p 228.
Ruff drawing from an old bark painting in the Kambot ceremonial haus Bonjo.
At the time of the 1980 field trip, the motifs on the painting were barely discernable.
Ruff drawing of a bark painting from the lower Sepik region as illustrated in Kelm, "Kunst Vom Sepik", Veroffentlichungen des Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, 1966, Vol. III, p 283.
Sepik expedition of 1912/13. Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, VI 49 472.
Bark painting from Kambrambo village from Guiart J - "Arts of the South Pacific", Braziller, New York, 1963, #179, p 212. Museum Fur Volkerkunde, Basel, Switzerland, Vb 9409.
Collected by F Speiser in 1930.
Kambot bark painting from Kambrambo village. Ruff drawing from Guiart, J - "Arts of the South Pacific", Braziller, New York, 1963, p 213, #180.
Collection of the Museum fur Volkerkunde, Basel, Switzerland, Vb 4915.
Collected by F Speiser in 1930.
Ruff drawing of a bark painting from the Lower Sepik region as illustrated in Kelm, "Kunst Vom Sepik", Veroffentlichungen des Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin,1966, Vol. III, p 290.
Sepik expedition of 1912/13.
Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, VI 49 382.
Motifs from a portion of a bark painting from Kumbragumbra village. Kelm, "Kunst Vom Sepik", Veroffentlichungen des Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin,1966, Vol. III, p 306.
Sepik expedition of 1912/13.
Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, VI 41 831.
Painted motifs on the walls of the Catholic Mission school adjacent to Kambot village, Keram River.
These were painted by men of the village, 1978.
Composite drawing of bird figures painted on the walls of the Catholic Mission school adjacent to Kambot village, Keram River, 1978.
Composite drawing of bird figures painted on the walls at the Catholic Mission school adjacent to Kambot village, Keram River, 1978.
Composite drawing of bird figures painted on the walls at the Catholic Mission school adjacent to Kambot village, Keram River, 1978.
Single motif seen on the wall of the Catholic Mission school, Kambot village, Keram River. Painted by Kambot men in the mid-1970’s.
Single motif seen on the wall of the Catholic Mission school, Kambot village, Keram River. Painted by Kambot men in the mid-1970’s.
Motifs found on walls of the Catholic Mission school, Kambot village, Keram River.
Drawn by Kambot men in the mid-1970’s.
Bark painting motifs by men of Kambot village.
Angoram Cultural Centre, 1975.
Drawing reconstructed from an old bark painting in the Kambot ceremonial haus Bonjo.
Motifs on the painting were barely discernable by the time of the 1980 field trip.
Unidentified bark painting from the Kambot area.
Painted motifs on the walls of the Catholic Mission School near Kambot village, Keram River, 1978.
These were painted by Kambot men in the mid-1970’s.
Bark painting motif from Kelm, "Kunst Vom Sepik", Veroffentlichungen des Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin,1966, Vol. III, p 285. Sepik expedition 1912/13.
Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, VI 49 402.
Noted as being from the "Unterer Sepik".
Bark painting motif from Kelm, "Kunst Vom Sepik", Veroffentlichungen des Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin,1966, Vol. III, p 285. Sepik expedition 1912/13.
Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, VI 49 402.
Noted as being from the "Unterer Sepik".
Drawing by Ruff, of a lower Sepik bark painting from Kelm, "Kunst Vom Sepik", Veroffentlichungen des Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin,1966, Vol. III, p 293.
Sepik expedition of 1912/13. Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, VI 49 394.
Ruff drawing of a bark painting from Tsingarin village. From Kelm, "Kunst Vom Sepik", Veroffentlichungen des Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, 1966, Vol. III, p 296.
Sepik expedition of 1912/13.
Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, VI 41 829.
Ruff drawing of a Kambot bark painting motif from Kelm, "Kunst Vom Sepik", Veroffentlichungen des Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin,1966, Vol. III, p 291.
Sepik expedition 1912/13.
Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, VI 49 396.
Ruff drawing of a Lower Sepik bark painting motif from Kelm, "Kunst Vom Sepik", Veroffentlichungen des Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin,1966, Vol. III, p 292.
Sepik Expedition of 1912/13. Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, VI 49 420.
Ruff abstraction of a bird motif from a Lower Sepik bark painting from Kelm, "Kunst Vom Sepik", Veroffentlichungen des Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin,1966, p 307.
Collected during the Sepik expedition of 1912/13.
Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, VI 49 381.
Bark painting on the ceiling of the Angoram Cultural Centre.
Painted by Kambot area men in 1975 at the time of reconstruction of the Centre.
Some ceiling paintings and posts were retrieved and re-used from a 1960’s structure which was taken apart after 1967.
Storyboard carving with mythical figures, 1974.
Such carvings frequently depict the story of Lawena and Dawena, historic brothers and early settlers in Kambot on the Keram River. See Dennett, H - "Mak Bilong Sepik", Wirui Press, Wewak, PNG, 1975 for an account of their many travels.
The storyboard form, seems to be a relatively recent innovation among men of the Kambot area, supplanting both bark paintings and carved canoe decorations of the past.
Storyboard from the Kambot area dated mid 1970’s.
Mopul and Wain, mythological ancestors of the Kambot village people are depicted along with stylised fauna.
Yuat River flute.
Made of a turtle shell base overlaid with clay, and shell and cassowary feather trim.
Private Collection, USA.
Purchased in 1967 from Barry Hoare, an Australian artefacts dealer in Madang.
Details of the Yuat River flute in previous entry.
Intricately inlaid cross-sections of shell embellish this flute.
Yuat River flute, moulded clay over turtle shell, embellished with the cross-sections of shells.
Private collection, USA.
Purchased from Robin Leahy, in Lae, PNG, 1977.
Mask in the men’s house of Akarun, Yuat River.
Feather and cowrie shell adornment.
Named Pansimakan, the mask was made by Monyam of Akarun, before the Germans came, about seven generations ago.
The mask belongs to Tau'un.
Craig, B - "Report for the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery, of a Field Trip to the Sepik, Oct 19 - Nov 29, 1981", 1981, p 45.
Second mask of Akarun, Yuat River.
This is a more recent mask than Pansimakan; both masks represent styles "owned" by men of Kinakaten and Akarun only.
It is believed the masks can reveal (though dreams) the success or otherwise of proposed hunting trips; they help hunters find game quickly.
Craig, B - "Report for the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery, of a Field Trip to the Sepik, Oct 19 - Nov 29, 1981", 1981, p 146.
Head hunting bilum or head carrying bag, Asangumut village, Yuat River, 1981.
Named Maiban, the bag was made by Yanakuli, grandfather of the village informant.
The nine pairs of pig’s tusks indicate that nine heads were taken in battle and were transported in the bag.
Front and back views of a dance head-dress, Asangumut village, Yuat River, 1981.
It was made by Yambekipan, in 1976.
The faces represent Yambi or Yambikipan, the masalai spirit after whom the maker was named.
Made of cassowary and cockatoo feathers, on a flat curved and painted board. Job’s tears seeds, and red, black and white paints are used for ornaments.
Craig, B - "Report for the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery, of a Field Trip to the Sepik, Oct 19 - Nov 29, 1981", 1981, p 140.
Male figure, Asangumut village, Yuat River.
Owned by Kamang’gip it was named Ulidangasak and carved by Ganugu Minali who used steel tools and fashioned the figure about 20 years ago (mid-1950s).
Figures were beseeched with gifts of food, to inform warriors of the chances of success before battle. Bows and arrows were placed between the figure’s legs, and if portents were favourable, men took up their weapons and went to war.
Craig, B - "Report for the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery, of a Field Trip to the Sepik, Oct 19 - Nov 29, 1981", 1981, p 139.
Recently carved figure, Asangumut village, Yuat River.
One of a pair of figures carved "from memory" by Ganugu/Minali, when the old carvings perished in a collapsed cult haus.
Like the figure in the preceding entry, it was used to determine omens of success in battle.
Craig, B - "Report for the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery, of a Field Trip to the Sepik, Oct 19 - Nov 29, 1981", 1981, p 139.
Contemporary (1974) shield, Biwat area, Yuat River.
Non-traditional bird and flower motifs. Yellow and ochre, black and white earth colours and lime, have been applied to the surface.
Private collection, USA.
Motifs painted on the ceiling of the Angoram Cultural Centre, 1975 by men of the Lower Sepik tributaries.
Views of a figure held for many years by Alan Gallagher, an old time Ambunti citizen, and artifacts dealer.
Mr Gallagher claimed the figure originated in the Inyai Caves area of the Karawari River.
Kamanggabi hook forms from the Karawari River.
These 1974 carvings with blunt 'hooks' lack the delicacy and grace of earlier carvings found in various museum collections.
Carved hook from the Karawari River area, 1974.
Termed Wanleg (i.e. one leg) in Tok Pisin, these hooks may vary in size from a few inches to seven or so feet (two metres) in height.
Fragments from old hook figures of the Inyai area, Karawari River.
Private collection, USA.
Purchased in 1967.
Enlarged detail of a very old hook figure from the Inyai area, Karawari River.
Note: White portions of drawing indicate light reflecting from its surface; the fragments are of unpainted, weathered wood.
Purchased in 1967.
Details of a cult crocodile carving at the entrance of a tourist hotel, Ambunti, 1975-77.
Carved by men of the Karawari River, it was collected by Wayne Heathecote.
The whole carving had disintegrated by late 1977.
Bark paintings in the Council Chamber at Amboin, Karawari River, 1978.
Ruff drawing of motifs from a bark painting, Tsingarin village, taken from Kelm, "Kunst Vom Sepik", Veroffentlichungen des Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin,1966, p 305.
Sepik expedition of 1912 /13.
Museum Fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, VI 41 810.
Ruff drawing of a bark painting from the Lower Sepik.
Taken from Kelm, "Kunst Vom Sepik", Veroffentlichungen des Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin,1966, Vol. III, p 322.
Sepik expedition of 1912 /13.
Museum Fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, VI 49 384.
Ruff drawing of a bark painting motif from the Lower Sepik.
Taken from Kelm, "Kunst Vom Sepik", Veroffentlichungen des Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin,1966, p 323 Vol. III.
Sepik expedition of 1912 /13.
Museum Fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, #VA 49 415.
Woven mask from Kouvenmas Village, Blackwater River.
Here carvers and artifact makers create a large stock of items for sale to tourist buyers.
This mask dates from 1974.
Woven ceremonial head-dress, Blackwater River, 1974.
Private collection, USA.
Unidentified motif, possibly a design incised on a garamut or other artefact.
No location or date.
Unidentified motif, possibly a from a bark painting.
No location or date.