Summary

Carved wooden stoppers are essential to the performance of long side-blown bamboo flutes, known in Iatmul as 'wabi kain' or 'kain' in song cycles known as 'sagi'. They are made in pairs, each pitched at the same note but one octave apart. Each clan has its own pair of flutes which have personal names and represents the ancestors. This small female figure represents a clan ancestress. Her bulbous nostrils and prominent cheekbones are similar to those used on objects from Kararau village (Eastern Iatmul) and suggest an origin there.

Physical Description

This carving is a flute stopper.

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