Inicjacja. Ludmul. Papua Nowa Gwinea. XX wiek.

I am a bit in the dark because this is my first encounter with Oceanic tribal art. Judging by the facial features, the sculpture depicts a man with both arms stuck up to his elbows in the mouths of two crocodiles. The lack of genitals, usually very prominent in sculptures, leads me to believe that the representation refers to an initiation ritual that transforms a young man into a man.

According to the beliefs of the Latmul tribes living along the Sepik River, the crocodile symbolizes the spirit of the ancestors. Since the whole world was created from water, the crocodile was one of its forefathers. This animal still plays a huge role in the tribe's beliefs. During other initiation rituals, scarifications imitating the scales or even bites of this reptile are made on the boys' bodies. The crocodiles depicted in the sculpture symbolically devour the young, inexperienced spirit of the youth and spit out a fully-fledged man. It is also worth paying attention to the young man's legs. They resemble crocodile paws more than human limbs.

The art of the Latmuls is relatively well known. They were the first to come into contact with white civilization at the end of the 19th century. They were also the first to respond to the world's demand for their works. This, of course, raises questions about the authenticity of these works. The answer to this question is not easy. The art of Papua New Guinea, like their beliefs, is still very hermetic and relatively little known, and it is difficult to clearly separate commerce from the need to represent one's own identity.

The sculpture is large. It is 138 cm high and 30 cm wide. It is quite flat. It is only 10 cm deep. It is made of hard wood. It was created in the 20th century.