Timbuwarra
Encyclopedia
The timbuwarra, or timbuwara (tentatively translated as "spirit of the flesh which guards the doors"), is a type of ritual figure produced by the Wiru people
of the Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea
. Timbuwarra figures are generally made of rattan
and painted, and may serve several functions, although they are generally held to be associated with fertility
rites and with the spirit world. Few are known to exist, and their purpose is generally poorly understood.
Timbuwarra are flat, woven, and anthropomorphic. Usually they are made of rattan and painted with ochre
pigments in earth tones; they may also be further decorated with cassowary
feathers and bead
s. They may sometimes also take the form of animals. The figures are created by elders during times of disaster, such as disease, earthquake
, or famine
.
The uses of the timbuwarra are varied; they are most often seen as guardian figures outside of ceremonial houses, which are constructed at some distance from the village. They would sometimes be used in mourning
rituals, and have been described as representations of dead women to which respects may be paid by friends and relatives; the status of the women and their manner of death is not known. Sometimes, timbuwarra would also be used during male initiation
rites to teach boys about sexual behavior. One collector has recorded:
Once timbuwarra have outlived their purpose, they are buried to refertilize the earth from which they were formed. A small number, however, have found their way into Western collections in more recent years; an example exists in the Art Gallery of New South Wales
, while others are held privately. The practice of making them died out with the coming of Catholic
missionaries in the 1950s, and few are made today.
Wiru people
The Wiru are a people of the Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. They speak the Wiru language. Among their rituals is the production of timbuwarra out of rattan.-Reference:*"" in Man and Culture in Oceania, Vol. 15...
of the Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. Timbuwarra figures are generally made of rattan
Rattan
Rattan is the name for the roughly 600 species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia.- Structure :...
and painted, and may serve several functions, although they are generally held to be associated with fertility
Fertility
Fertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction...
rites and with the spirit world. Few are known to exist, and their purpose is generally poorly understood.
Timbuwarra are flat, woven, and anthropomorphic. Usually they are made of rattan and painted with ochre
Ochre
Ochre is the term for both a golden-yellow or light yellow brown color and for a form of earth pigment which produces the color. The pigment can also be used to create a reddish tint known as "red ochre". The more rarely used terms "purple ochre" and "brown ochre" also exist for variant hues...
pigments in earth tones; they may also be further decorated with cassowary
Cassowary
The cassowaries are ratites, very large flightless birds in the genus Casuarius native to the tropical forests of New Guinea, nearby islands and northeastern Australia. There are three extant species recognized today...
feathers and bead
Bead
A bead is a small, decorative object that is usually pierced for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under to over in diameter. A pair of beads made from Nassarius sea snail shells, approximately 100,000 years old, are thought to be the earliest known examples of jewellery. Beadwork...
s. They may sometimes also take the form of animals. The figures are created by elders during times of disaster, such as disease, earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
, or famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
.
The uses of the timbuwarra are varied; they are most often seen as guardian figures outside of ceremonial houses, which are constructed at some distance from the village. They would sometimes be used in mourning
Mourning
Mourning is, in the simplest sense, synonymous with grief over the death of someone. The word is also used to describe a cultural complex of behaviours in which the bereaved participate or are expected to participate...
rituals, and have been described as representations of dead women to which respects may be paid by friends and relatives; the status of the women and their manner of death is not known. Sometimes, timbuwarra would also be used during male initiation
Initiation
Initiation is a rite of passage ceremony marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components...
rites to teach boys about sexual behavior. One collector has recorded:
One of these that I had had two holes down in the abdomen area – one above the other. I was told that this was used to teach the young men which hole to aim for during sex to avoid pregnancy.They were also sometimes carried or worn by village men during fertility rites; when worn, they were often attached to a ceremonial wig in a fashion known locally as "female pinned by a penis to the wig".
Once timbuwarra have outlived their purpose, they are buried to refertilize the earth from which they were formed. A small number, however, have found their way into Western collections in more recent years; an example exists in the Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Art Gallery of New South Wales , located in The Domain in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, was established in 1897 and is the most important public gallery in Sydney and the fourth largest in Australia...
, while others are held privately. The practice of making them died out with the coming of Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
missionaries in the 1950s, and few are made today.