Asmat Tribe Woodcarving

Asmat Tribe lives in West Papua, Indonesia. This particular tribe was formerly well known as a notorious ‘head-hunter’. and also well known for its gorgeous woodcarving. The Asmat woodcarving is famous as the best woodcarvings in the stone age. As a matter of fact, Asmat woodcarving is amongst the finest woodcarvings in the world. As they believe that spread among the Asmat tribe said that their ancestors were carved from trees that then drummed into life by the creator known as Fumeripits; they considered wood as a sacred thing.

There is a very diverse model of Asmat tribe woodcarving that ranges from boats, panels, statues, shields, small drums, poles, and even egg cassowaries carving (a kind of big bird living in Papua). The patterns of Asmat woodcarving usually derives from their daily lives experience, trees, animals, people boating, fishing, hunting, etc. We will easily make a conclusion upon visiting and learning about the Asmat woodcarving that their carving skill is actually a tradition as well as ritual life that has a close relationship to respect their ancestors as well as having a deep relationship to their spiritual life. In the process of Asmat woodcarving, a Wowipit, the Asmat woodcarver will not merely do the carving, but he will also, withdraw a spiritual living.

Woodcarving – a magnificent attraction

Asmat woodcarving is magnificent that attracts a lot of people from all over the world to collect them. In fact, the value of Asmat woodcarving in the market is extremely expensive. However, some collectors prefer to come to the site of its origin to get a cheaper price. You will find that Asmat woodcarving is absolutely unique and one of a kind since this particular Asmat woodcarving will have no duplicate due to the woodcarver who will never make the same pattern in their carvings. Even if you have the forms of Asmat woodcarving such as shields, panels, or small drums, the pattern carved on such items would totally different.

Nowadays, there is an accessible way to reach the remote area of the Asmat tribe location, a lot of foreigners from America and Europe especially Germany are visiting the site so as to they can see for themselves how the magnificent You can purchase at the lowest possible price than the ones available in the market. This effort has made it possible for the Asmat woodcarving to travel around the world and become the collections of some museums, galleries as well as households of ethnic-style carving lovers. One of the museums with Asmat woodcarving on its collection is the Museum of Primitive Art, New York City.

During Asmat Festival, usually held in October each year, visitors could watch a group of carvers display their
woodcarving skills.