To make a bala, first a wooden frame, traditionally made of bamboo, is constructed. The keys are each made of a piece of African rosewood that is roughly carved down to size and then set over a low fire for several weeks to completely dry out. When fully dry, the keys are refined and then tied onto the wooden frame using leather cords. A gourd resonator is carved with a hole … [Read more...] about Mande Bala Xylophone: Researched, Conserved, and Reconstructed by Elisabeth Barber
Masks from the Sepik Region are carved from a single piece of wood that is incised and painted with colorful patterns. Common features include the beak-shaped nose, which can face either upwards or downwards, and concentric lines of red, yellow, white, and black pigments. The masks are generally used in rituals for the purpose of protection, and these often take place during … [Read more...] about Sepik Region Mask: Researched and Conserved by Akira Alves
Gope ancestor or spirit boards are memorial tablets that are usually painted black, red, and white and feature symbolic images of ancestors. “Dancing figure” images appear throughout Kerewa imagery; these images are easily recognized by the curved arms and legs that inspired the name, as well as by the curved teardrop shape of the eyes and the football shape of the stomach. … [Read more...] about Gope Ancestor Board: Researched and Conserved by Akira Alves
The sago pounder is a tool used to harvest and process the inner bark of the sago palm, which provides a staple food for the people of the Sepik Region of New Guinea. For this process, the sago palm is first cut open and the bark is removed. Next, the sago pounder is used like an axe or hoe to gradually scrape the inner bark or pith from the outer bark. The pith is then … [Read more...] about Sago Pounder: Researched, Conserved, and Repaired by Akira Alves