Abelam

Melanesia, PNG

1. Area

2. Country

3. Tribe/Culture

4. Name

5. Style & Function

1. Melanesia

2. PNG

3. Abelam

4. Abelam men’s house with painted facade and carved lintel

5. ceremonies inside the house

• orange and yellow color for taro

• crawl through entrance

• many carved mythical ancestors on top of lintel

1. Area

2. Country

3. Tribe/Culture

4. Name

5. Style & Function

1. Melanesia

2. PNG

3. Abelam

4. Detail of painted facade of Abelam men’s house

5. animals with humanoid face

• was real skulls before christianity had to take them down

1. Area

2. Country

3. Tribe/Culture

4. Name

5. Style & Function

1. Melanesia

2. PNG

3. Abelam

4. Initiation chamber in Abelam men’s house with birthing female ancestor figure

5. entrance to the house so that you had to crawl between her legs

1. Area

2. Country

3. Tribe/Culture

4. Name

5. Style & Function

1. Melanesia

2. PNG

3. Abelam

4. Copulating spirit pair carving inside men’s house

1. Area

2. Country

3. Tribe/Culture

4. Name

5. Style & Function

1. Melanesia

2. PNG

3. Abelam

4. Male ancestor figure from inside men’s house

5. birds

• yam color

• circumcision with the animal biting the bottom

1. Area

2. Country

3. Tribe/Culture

4. Name

5. Style & Function

1. Melanesia

2. PNG

3. Abelam

4. Male ancestor figures with totem animals from inside men’s house

5. animals with beaks

• yam colors

1. Area

2. Country

3. Tribe/Culture

4. Name

5. Style & Function

1. Melanesia

2. PNG

3. Abelam

4. Basketry mask representing an aggressive rapist/war like spirit

5. went around the village terrorizing women and children

• only type of abelam mask

1. Area

2. Country

3. Tribe/Culture

4. Name

5. Style & Function

1. Melanesia

2. PNG

3. Abelam

4. Long yams wearing basketry masks

5. represented ancestors

• “ate their ancestors”