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To the Asmat tribe, woodcarving was inextricably connected to the spirit world. Much of the highly original Asmat art is symbolic of warfare, headhunting, and warrior-ancestor veneration. The Asmat were preoccupied with the necessity of appeasing ancestral spirits. In trying to placate this spirit world, they produced a wealth of superbly-designed shields, canoes, sculptured figures and drums.



In this clip, we can see how a beech effigy is carved. The beech  is a spirit that will accompany the deceased on his final journey to the after world.