portion of a lintel with hornbill birds, unrecorded Abelam artist

Exhibition Label:
"Roots and Journeys: Encountering Global Arts and Cultures," Jul-2011, Nancy Mahaney
Although life in Abelam villages may appear to be dominated by male activities, symbols, and initiation groups, strong pairings of male-female associations are found throughout Abelam society. The ceremonial house, or haus tambaran, is an example of this male-female dichotomy. The physical structure is considered symbolically female. At the same time, the haus tambaran is exclusively the domain of men, who use the building for both ceremonial and secular purposes.

Carved wooden ancestor spirit figures live in the haus tambaran and the building itself is often decorated with wooden carvings like this lintel. Typically, lintels are adorned with the faces of ancestors. This lintel is unusual in that it is decorated with hornbills. Here again, the design of the lintel displays the male-female dichotomy. Hornbills, with their large, phallus-like beaks, are classified as a male symbol. The pattern decorating the bodies of the four central birds is a moon motif, a female design.