Raja Ampat Ritual Art: Spirit Priests and Ancestor Cults in New Guinea's Far West

Raymond Hubertus Antonius Corbey

ISBN 10: 9054500182 / ISBN 13: 9789054500186

Published by C. Zwartenkot Art Books - Leiden, 2017

About this Item

Over the past century, traditional ritual art linked to ancestor cults and spirit beliefs has diminished in the Raja Ampat archipelago. This work aims to catalog 'mon' spirit figures, 'korwars,' and secret priests' drawings, exploring the activities of naturalists, explorers, colonial administrators, and missionaries since the early 19th century. It provides an in-depth discussion of the social and cosmological contexts surrounding these spirit and ancestor figurines, revealing intricate details and fresh insights. The decline of traditional art is attributed to complex interactions involving indigenous agency, religious conversion, cargo cults, modernization, and administrative interventions. The book is richly illustrated, featuring sacred-secret drawings created by indigenous priests for their rituals, which were believed to be lost but have recently been rediscovered. The author, an anthropologist at Leiden University in the Netherlands, has previously published works examining the Marind Anim of New Guinea and Dayak cosmology.

Seller Inventory # 580e9153-cc10-47a2-a51e-9bb7007a6a07

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Raja Ampat Ritual Art: Spirit Priests and Ancestor Cults in New Guinea's Far West
• Publisher: C. Zwartenkot Art Books - Leiden
• Publication Date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9054500182
• ISBN 13: 9789054500186
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: As New

About this title

Synopsis

During the past 100 years the traditional ritual art related to ancestor cults, spirit beliefs and headhunting has withered in the sparsely populated Raja Ampat archipelago. Setting out to establish an inventory of the 'mon' spirit figures, 'korwars' and secret priests' drawings, this book delves into the exploits of naturalists, explorers, colonial administrators and, in particular, missionaries since the beginning of the 19th century. The social and cosmological background of the spirit and ancestor figurines from the archipelago is discussed extensively, with a wealth of fascinating details and new insights. In the process it is shown how the demise and the exodus of the traditional art resulted from complex interactions between indigenous agency, conversion, cargo cult activity, modernization and, last but not least, interventions by administrators. The abundantly illustrated book includes a number of stunning, sacred-secret drawings depicting the spirit world, devised by indigenous priests to serve them in their rituals. Acquired during the 1930s, these drawings were long believed to be lost but have recently been rediscovered.