Yam Ceremonial Digging Stick with Carving Papua New Guinea

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A large digging stick used for the ceremony of planting the first yams of the season circa first half of … Read more A large digging stick used for the ceremony of planting the first yams of the season circa first half of the 20th century, purportedly from the ex-collection of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Such a ceremonial piece is reserved for ceremonial use during harvest. The piece is labeled as a ceremonial sago scoop, but it is not exactly correct. Our research shows that it was made by Wosera people in the Maprik of the Mid-Sepik river region PNG. The ceremonial digging stick is traditionally used for planting the first-year yams of the season. The central figure represents a naggwal, an ancestor associated with yam harvesting. His head is topped with Hornbill beaks. It has significant patina on the tip of the stick suggesting the usage of the piece. It was carved out of the trunk of stringy palm, a local plant by Wosera People (south of Abelam) in Middle Sepik River. The art by Wosera people shares significant similarity with their northern neighbor Abelam. It is considered that Wosera renders a more defined and powerful sculptural form to their work that is more naturalistic.
Ref: Oceanic Art. Anthony JP Meyer. P 279 See less