Spirit Figure (Bioma or Agiba)
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
In the early 1900s this Northwest Coast potlatch figure would have been called "primitive" art, as if it were a simpler version of European-derived art. However, the Native American artist who carved this figure was following the formal artistic traditions of Kwakwaka\'wakw society. Potlatch figures were place outside a chief\'s large house during a potlatch to emphasize his power. At a potlatch, a celebration held for occasions such as births, deaths, marriages, and treaty signings, the chief gave away much of his valuable belongings to the attendees, affirming his wealth and power and obligating the recipients to reciprocate at some future time.
Caption
Era River. Spirit Figure (Bioma or Agiba), early 20th century. Wood, natural pigments, 27 x 10 x 6 in. (68.6 x 25.4 x 15.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of John W. Vandercook, 51.118.9. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 51.118.9_SL3.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Spirit Figure (Bioma or Agiba)
Date
early 20th century
Geography
Place made: Meagoma Village, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea
Medium
Wood, natural pigments
Classification
Dimensions
27 x 10 x 6 in. (68.6 x 25.4 x 15.2 cm)
Inscriptions
Fabric labels on back read: "Meagama - Gopi Delta Div. Papua 11/13/33 - 3 st. tobacco 2 [illegible] beads"; paper label reads "B'Klyn L.101.6"; writen and crossed out in red: "34.142L"; written in red: "51.118.9"
Credit Line
Gift of John W. Vandercook
Accession Number
51.118.9
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at