99
R. S.: Studying museum pieces was very much
in the tradition of continental anthropology
at the time, and I found it interesting, but at a
certain point I decided I wanted to go and see
for myself. I remember speaking with Anthony
Forge about post-primitive culture, and we
came around to discussing the Sepik. He said it
would be very easy there because a family now
consists of a father, a mother, three children,
and an anthropologist. I was not much inclined
to be one of those anthropologists, but based on
his research, I found infl uences from Indonesia
in the art.
So, I went to Holland because everyone said
if you want to know about Indonesia, you have
to go to its former colonizer and fi nd the people
who have fi rsthand experience with the islands.
I considered going to the Moluccas but, aside
from its complicated political situation, I was
told they didn’t make art anymore. Eventually,
a Protestant sister who had spent many years
FIG. 6 (left): Memorial
board, kirekat.
Samonganuot longhouse,
Rereiket, central Siberut.
C. 1930.
Collected in 1967.
Wood, black pigment. 82 x 167 cm.
Dallas Museum of Art, the Eugene and
Margaret McDermott Art Fund.
This served as a memorial for several
deceased relatives. The hands and
often the feet of the deceased are held
against such a board and an outline
of them is traced and incised. These
are then blackened with a paint made
from soot mixed with tree sap. Two
adults (one of them denoted by only
a single foot) and three children are
represented. The moon-like discs
symbolize the passing of time. In
this example, the board itself is an
exceptionally broad plank made from
a buttress root. It was kept as a relic
from an older house.
FIG. 7 (right): Hand
sculpture memorial, kirekat
takep, derived from makire,
“accurate in form.” Rereiket,
central Siberut. C. 1940.
Collected in 1969.
Wood, black paint. H: 54 cm.
Private collection.
Made by a son for his deceased father,
both hand and forearm are painted
with the tattoo lines characteristic of
this region.