Figure for Yam Ceremony (mindja)

Communities displayed this object—with its vivid colors and striking facial features—during yam ceremonies. Sometimes the faces incorporate pierced holes as eyes and a mouth, as seen here. Yams served as a vital food staple for people living in the Washkuk Hills, along the left bank of the Middle Sepik River. At the end of the yam harvesting season, objects such as this were placed around a temporary structure set inside the men’s ceremonial house for presentation of the yams. A group of eight faces similar to this surrounded the structure, their faces turned toward the center. During the ceremony, men sang epic chants inside the men’s house while women danced outside.