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Details
- Other Titles
- Female figure
Stone figure - Place where the work was made
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Arop (Long) Island
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Madang Province
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Papua New Guinea
- Date
- circa 1000 BCE-circa 400 BCE
- Media category
- Sculpture
- Materials used
- basalt stone
- Dimensions
- 29.2 x 12.5 x 7.5 cm
- Credit
- Gift of the Art Gallery Society of New South Wales 1969
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- IA2.1969
- Copyright
- Share
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About
The volcanic island of Arop, known as Pono by its people, was named Long Island by William Dampier in 1700. A catastrophic eruption destroyed most life there around 400 years ago and created an ash cloud across the region. The 'taim tudak' (time of darkness) even ruined crops in the highlands of Papua New Guinea and led to widespread famine.
When people returned to Arop during the 19th century, stone figures such as these were unearthed in gardens, the story of their makers and purpose unknown. Anthropomorphic stone figurines found in the highlands of New Guinea were believed to be repositories of powers of fertility and growth. They were used primarily in ritual activities, until Christianity largely replaced indigenous ceremonial practices.
[entry from Exhibition Guide for 'Melanesian art: redux', 2018, cat no 2]
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Exhibition history
Shown in 3 exhibitions
unknown, Blaxland Gallery, Sydney, 21 May 1969–03 Jun 1969
Aboriginal and Melanesian art, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 19 Oct 1974 -
Melanesian art: redux, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 17 Nov 2018–17 Feb 2019
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Bibliography
Referenced in 5 publications
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Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales picturebook, Sydney, 1972, 145 (colour illus.).
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Australian Museum, Records of the Australian Museum, Sydney, 31 Jul 1982, 443 (illus.), 444.
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Annabel Davie (Editor), Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook, Sydney, 1988, 69 (illus.).
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Mervyn Horton (Editor), Art and Australia, Sydney, Jul 1972, 79.
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Tony Tuckson, Aboriginal and Melanesian art, Sydney, 1973, 42. cat.no. 12 Astrolabe Bay
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