{"id":2138,"title":"Bis Pole","medium":"Wood, pigment","classification":"Sculpture","dimension":"174 x 12 x 45 in. (442 x 30.5 x 114.3cm)","object_name":"Pole","continent":"Oceania","country":"New Guinea","nationality":"New Guinean","culture":"Asmat (Bismam group)","dated":"20th century","room":"G262","list":"aampi, oceanic-art-highlights","role":"Artist","text":"<font face=Times New Roman size=3>  </font>\n<p>\n\t<span style=line-height: 107%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 12pt;>This is a ritual <i>bis</i> pole created to honor an important and recently deceased member of society. In Asmat culture, families commission artists to carve a pole out of a single piece of wild nutmeg tree to represent clan members who have passed on. Its shape evokes a canoe, the main mode of transportation for the living and the dead, which conveys the spirit to the next world. The pole is displayed at a large community ceremony, and a mock battle is staged around its base to appease any restless spirits. Then it is ritually disposed of, its purpose complete.</span>\n</p>\n<font face=Times New Roman size=3>  </font>","creditline":"The Putnam Dana McMillan Fund","accession_number":"74.79.1","artist":"Asmat (Bismam group) artist","life_date":"New Guinea (South Papua Province)","department":"Arts of Oceania","rights_type":"Public Domain","image_width":2297,"image_height":4037,"recent":0,"see_also":[],"sort_number":"74    79    1","image":"valid","public_access":1,"curator_approved":1,"highlights":0,"Cache_Location":"002000\\100\\30\\2138","Primary_RenditionNumber":"090121_mia348_8362.jpg","Rights_Image_Display":"Full","list:aampi":true,"list:oceanic-art-highlights":true,"related:audio-stops":[{"title":"Bis Pole, Asmat","_id":"2138","objectId":"2138","link":"http://audio-tours.s3.amazonaws.com/p203.mp3","number":"203","type":"audio"}],"mtime":"2026-02-04T06:00:50.797Z"}