Asmat art and culture
The Asmat are a people in western New Guinea and are considered an extraordinary cultural group there. Their carving skills are excellent. It is common to speak of the art and culture of the Asmat . In fact, however, a different density of artistic creation of the twelve different cultural groups of this ethnic group can be determined. This affects the spectrum of objects and the frequency of production in traditional and modern art. Responsible for this are the different meanings of the specific use of certain objects for social events and also environmental factors.
Asmat culture
The 7-10 m high ancestral posts (also: bis ) can be found in particular among the Bisman , Becembub and Simai cultural groups . The Yoreat group, on the other hand, are masters of building soul boats ( wuramon ). The ghost stake ( omu ), on the other hand, is a specialty of the Emari Ducur , while the Safan II group comes up with ceremonial crocodiles ( binit ) and the Kaimo with large round wood ( basosuankus ).
Mask and sago festivals are ubiquitous, as they are part of cross-cultural religiosity and a corresponding festival understanding. Rites such as the ancestral stake festival mentioned above have regional and cultural group-specific significance. Attempts by individual cultural groups to integrate the specifics of other cultural groups have often failed, which is why one regularly refrained from adapting or synthesizing such projects. In most cases it was already decisive that one wanted to promote tourism because pecuniary interests had been aroused by outsiders. For example, the attempt by the Emari Ducur to (recently) build soul boats and establish them in their own country failed because it was discovered that an epidemic wave wiped out parts of the population and this was interpreted as a harmful outflow of excessive power that stood against you and against you could not be master. As a result, the project was abandoned. It must also be taken into account that the mythical access to the festivities of the Asmat - including the cultural groups among themselves - is difficult, as a number of inhibitors make it difficult to carry out ceremonial acts. Such are: prohibitions to testify and language barriers.
Overall, it can be said that many cultural rites and events are part of a single large festival cycle, the so-called je ti . This "mother" of all Asmat festivals is still present in (small) parts in the tradition of all cultural groups and the different festival customs can be derived from it. The artists (cescuipit), who are highly respected in Asmat circles, draw the line . These determine the moral and behavioral guidelines. This also across cultural groups. Depending on their talent, these artists are divided into the group of singers ( soipit ), drummers ( emipit ), storytellers of myths ( tareyatakamipit ) and ultimately carvers ( wowipit ).
Influence of civilization on the Asmat culture
Headhunting and cannibalism were common in the Asmat area .
When Michael C. Rockefeller , son of the then Governor of New York and Vice President , Nelson A. Rockefeller, disappeared without a trace in an estuary in 1961 , the region was subjected to tremendous reprisals . Headhunting, which served to balance the Asmat groups with one another, was prohibited, as were all festivals and rites. All accessories for this were confiscated and / or destroyed. It didn't matter whether arrows were used for hunting, they were no longer allowed.
At the beginning of the 1970s there was a rethink. With the help of the Rockefeller III Foundation and the Asia Foundation , the Asmat Museum of Culture & Progress was built in Agats in 1972 . This museum in Asmat, built for the Asmat itself and accepted by them as a cultural center, is unique in the world to this day. The Indonesian government recognized the high value of the Asmat cultures. She lets the Asmat let go with their traditions. However, this does not apply to headhunting or cannibalistic endeavors.
In so far as a normalization of the relationship between the Indonesian authorities and the Asmat could be initiated, since then it has been established, on the other hand, that tourism -oriented souvenir work is increasingly replacing traditional object art in all Asmat cultures . Since the real cultural objects are regularly too big for the prospective buyers, one allowed for a factual change. There are exceptionally high dangers in this, because the authenticity of the important carving culture gives way to an airport type , as it is lamented in a similar way in Tanzania by the Makonde .
Artist competitions held in Agats since 1981 are intended to help reactivate the creativity of the participants. The results, however, reveal the whole dichotomy of the Asmat between their mythical tradition and imposed modernity.
The Asmat cultural groups (overview of specific cultural groups)
Oriented inland towards the coast (Gulf of Papua) and from north to south, the following cultural groups of the Asmat can be distinguished:
- Bras
- Yupmakcain
- Unir Epmak (Tomor)
- Aramatak
- Emari Ducur
- Unir Siran (Keenok)
- Kenekap (Kaimo)
- Simai
- Yoerat
- Bismam
- Becembub
- Safan I.
- Safan II
To paint their objects, the Asmat used for the color white, shell limestone , occasionally in the absence of shells (as in the case of the tribes in the country, such as the Bras) also kaolin , for the color red hematite-containing earth, which is often intensified with sap , and for the color black, soot or charcoal. The drums are regularly strung with monitor skins . A rattan braid provides the necessary support.
Differentiation of the cultural groups
The following differentiations can be made:
- The Bras group celebrated the mask festival with the jiwawoka mask type, as well as the shield festival and the Saga larva festival . The shields were still worked with stone and bone tools until the 1970s. No art development can be determined; at most, copies of traditional shields are occasionally made for sale. Objects specific to cultural groups are not known.
- Something similar applies to the Yupmakcain group.
- The Aramatak group held a variety of festivals in the past. Special features cannot be mentioned here either.
- The Unir-Epmak group is not developing in the direction of a modern one. Shields, drums and bowls are archived and known from days gone by.
- The Emari-Ducur group held a number of festivals. The ghost stake, the ancestral stake, numerous drums (with turtle and cockatoo bill motifs), figures, bowls and horns should be mentioned in specific cultures. Here too, however, it is observed that traditional objects are copied for sales purposes.
- The Unir Siran group knows a variety of ritual festivals, such as the ancestral stake festival. The ajour works of this Asmat group are particularly well known. At the Unir Siran, an art development towards the modern age can be observed. This applies to panels, figures and ancestral posts.
- The Kenekap Group occasionally develops interesting figures for modern times . She traditionally deals with ornate logs, shields and instruments.
- The Simai group holds all kinds of celebrations. The ancestral stake festival and the house stake festival are of great importance. Masks also play an important role. They are also committed to modern art. Thereby figurative, mythical thematic and complicated facts prevail.
- The Yoerat group also knows a variety of festivals and culture-specific objects. The modern orientation can be regarded as moderately committed. However, soul boats and various figures are occasionally sold.
- The Bismam group knows almost all festivals. The ancestral stake is of paramount importance. There is also a great variety of figurative elements to admire. Except tobacco pipes, everything is known here. Drums are manufactured for modern sales markets and kept for sale.
- The Becembub group is similar to that of the Bismam group. Here, too, extraordinary abilities are visible. In addition, there is an astonishing interactivity to the modern.
- The Safan I group is equally familiar with tradition and folklore. All traditional objects are made here to this day. Art development elements also work as its own traditional elements are successfully mixed with those of the traditional elements of the neighbors.
- The Safan II group is hardly inferior to its northern neighbors, the Safan I group in terms of creativity, special highlights here are the drum construction and the decorations on the objects.
See also
literature
- Gunter Konrad, Ursula Konrad (with the participation of Adam Saimas, Petrus Wer, Miguel Bingumeces and Soter Sokerau), Asmat: Myths and Rituals. Inspiration of Art, Erizzo, 1995 - 454 pages
- Gunter Konrad, Ursula Konrad, Tobias Schneebaum , Asmat. Living with the ancestors - Stone Age wood carvers of our time, publisher: F. Brückner, Glashütten / Ts. (Self-published) 1981. 192 pages with numerous. Illustrations. Size-8vo. ill. Kart.
- Klaus Helfrich (Hrsg.): Asmat: Myth and art in life with the ancestors . Exhibition catalog. Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin 1995, ISBN 978-3-88609-381-6
- Ursula Konrad, Alphonse Sowada, Asmat: perception of life in art - the collection of the Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress, Kühlen, 2002 - 383 pages
