Post #164664 by I dream of tiki on Thu, Jun 9, 2005 12:23 AM

Orator's Stool from the Sepik

"This is a picture of a large head in the forefront, from the sepik again. It is called an orator's stool. It is a full 5 1/2 foot figure and extremely hard to find and collect, but it is also a stool. The back of the tall figure has a little seat sticking out and part of the trunk it was carved from, except noone sits on it, that is not its purpose:

Formal debate is an important and popular practice for many of the Sepik River peoples. The principal accessory of expression during their often violent discussions is a carved represention of an ancestor kneeling or standing beside his personal stool. The disproportionately exaggerated hips, shoulders, and heavy, incised pectorals are characteristic of carvings from this region. The figure carved within the stool or chair probably represents a totemic ancestor. These often larger than life size orator's pieces are the central figures in the Haus Tambaran. No human being sits on these stools, only the invisible protective spirit is there who presides over ritual ceremonies or the settlement of disputes. Typically, an orator stands beside the stool and calls on the clan spirit to support his speech. To emphasis a point, the speaker may strike the "seat" of the stool with a bundle of croton leaves or grass. As long as a man holds the bundle of leaves or grass, he commands the floor. The speaker may gradually reduce the number of leaves in the bundle to show that he is progressing through the points he intends to make."

[ Edited by: I dream of tiki 2009-02-21 23:45 ]