Post #517525 by Babalu on Mon, Mar 15, 2010 12:33 PM

Hey all,

As many of you might already know, I've had this personal 'thing going on' for the work (art) of the Asmat peoples of New Guinea. I started a thread that speaks to some of this intrest of mine here... The Asmat Peoples

I am very intrigued with the deconstruction in the imagery used by the Asmat, and the fact that all of their imagery is hauntingly symbolic in nature. Almost all of the Asmat designs used are in some way symbolic of the act of head hunting. Until very recently (1960s), the taking of heads was a way of life for the Asmat people. The drum references that I have found on the Amat peoples in my research truly make my mouth water...As a mug maker who is focusing in on a tiki style in the tiki revival, the opportunity to integrate some of my own style in with this Asmat imagery is just too over powering for me not to play with...I find it very challenging to try and recreate some of those delicate drum handle designs in clay. The modern feel in this design work from the Asmat, along with the darkish symbolisum used, and then combined with the escapist nature of the tiki style mug tatses mighty wonderful to me. :)

This is my first attempt (of many more designs to come) at building a tiki style mug based on a design of the Asmat peoples...

The finished mug is around 10 inches tall and holds 16 oz of liquid filled to the top of the rim. This mug is made entirely of low fired clay, no paper clay has been used in it construction...though I might try that sometime :) Every squre milameter on the mug has been hand worked. It is embelished with bird heads for the handles and flying fox feet on the main body of the mug...both are symbolic of head hunting in the Asmat culture.

If you think might be interested in this "first" Asmat mug design of mine please let me know. The cost on him is $250. and I will cover the shipping and insurance to anywhere in the lower 48 States.

Here is a little video I shot of the mug so that you might see it in 360 view sorry for the tune selection...hopefully, I can figure out how to upload more than just canned tunes for future vids...

Size compairison:

Thanks for looking :)

[ Edited by: Babalu 2010-03-15 13:05 ]

[ Edited by: Babalu 2010-03-17 13:40 ]