Painting for a Ceremonial House

Browse the collection

Culture Abelam

Title Painting for a Ceremonial House

Date Ca. 1940

Medium Palm frond petiole, bamboo, pigment, and and fiber

Dimensions Object: 69 1/4 × 33 1/2 × 3 7/16 in. (175.9 × 85.1 × 8.7 cm)
Overall: 69 1/4 × 33 1/2 × 3 7/16 in. (175.9 × 85.1 × 8.7 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 63.62

Share this artwork!

About this Work

For the Abelam peoples the men’s ceremonial house was the place where men gathered and made political decisions as well as where spirits would reside making it a place of social and spiritual importance.

As a result of the building’s importance, ceremonial houses were highly decorated with figures and patterns. These buildings were generally created with black, red, white, yellow, and orange pigment as the primary colors. The patterns and figures refer to objects from nature as well as specific clan ancestors.

Provenance
More Details

Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

Viewing Information
This artwork is currently off display. You may be able to see this artwork by filling out an art viewing room request.

Request this Image
The Eskenazi Museum of Art provides images of its collection, free of charge, upon request. This artwork is under copyright protection. You can request the image and it will be emailed to you when the request is complete.

Cite this Page
"Painting for a Ceremonial House | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=63.62