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Asmat Art
In a wider sense, carving relates to Asmat culture as writing belongs to Western culture.
Its function, in addition to apotropaic purposes and especially in bisj carvings, is to keep alive the memory of ancestor heroes and connect with them in the spiritual region, where they will continue to exercise their protective function.
Since carving has a primary role in the Asmat everyday life, the village supports its own carvers. The members of the village who commission a work provide for the artist and his family, until the carving is completed. Sometimes they offer also special treats, such as sago grub and tobacco.
The Asmat tribal culture is focused on totemism and ancestor worship, while social cohesion within the single clans was supported by a complex mechanism of mutual revenges followed by cannibalistic rituals. The curators of the American Museum of Asmat Art, University of St. Thomas, Minnesota contextualize Asmat carving as a part of the rituality and religious life of the community, while the objects are the point of contact between the social group and the ancestors.
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Every work of art is given the name of a deceased person and embodies his spirit. Every object, even tools of daily use, receive a sort of spiritual imprimatur, the prows of the canoes are carved, likewise oars and paddles, spears, bowls and the outstanding fireplace posts placed in the “longhouses” along the rivers.
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