Head for Yam Ceremony at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

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The Kwoma people live in the hills north of the middle Sepik River in northern New Guinea, their close relatives being the Nukuma and Yessan-Mayo. These groups share a distinct art tradition associated with a religious cult centered on yam cultivation. A sequence of three rituals, called "yena," "minja," and "nokwi," each involving a unique type of figure, is performed to honor the yam harvest. Carved wooden heads such as this one are created for yena, the first of these harvest rituals, featuring bulging eyes and pendulous noses that represent powerful ancient spirits. During the ritual, village men assemble a pile of yams within the ceremonial house, inserting sticklike bases of the yena into the pile and decorating them with brightly colored leaves, feathers, and other ornaments. The men then dance and sing to honor the yena spirits, dismantling the display at the conclusion of the ritual, storing away the heads, and beginning preparations for the next ritual. This object is part of a digital archive called "Scan The World". Scan The World is a non-profit initiative that allows people from around the globe to access fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks for free. It's an open source community effort where anyone can contribute by emailing stw@myminifactory.com with interesting items they'd like to share.