97 FIG 2. (left): Ancestor fi gure, nimbero kandimbong. Murik Lakes, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. 19th to early 20th century. Collected by Barry Hoare. Ex John and Marcia Friede Collection. Wood, ochre, lime, shell. H: 96 cm. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, inv. 2012.1782. This fi gure likely represents a clan ancestor from living memory, as the facial features, especially the nose, are quite naturalistic. To either side of the head the artist has carved representations of delicate kap-kap–like adornments known as nambakabim, which were worn only by important men. The base of this kandimbong fi gure is carved with hooks, however, the fi gure was never intended to be a suspension hook and this form is rare. FIG. 3 (right): One-legged male fi gure, aripa. Bogonemari River, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. 19th century or earlier. Wood. H: 244 cm. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, inv. 2011.955. This aripa is one of the tallest extant and follows the classic form of singular leg, opposing hook forms, and large concentric eyes. The central negative space with a vertical pendant is likely to represent the aripa’s heart and lungs. Unlike other Sepik communities, such as the Iatmul, who had special regard for the head, the Inyai believe the heart is the seat of life. The fi rst real exposure of aripa fi gures to the world was through the exhibition The Caves of Karawari held at D’Arcy Galleries in New York in 1968. Interestingly, the accompanying catalog featured early photography by artist Bill Viola. During the period that aripa sculptures were being sold by their traditional owners and exported from Papua New Guinea, mainly between 1959 and 1962, it seems that no Australian institutions had a focus on building collections in this area, so these intriguing hook fi gures can be found only in American and European collections. Among the exceptionally small number of Yimar and Inyai-Ewa objects held in Australian collections, two aripa and two yipwon fi gures are the only examples created for indigenous purposes.
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