In the famous Indian epic Ramayana, the giant Kumbhakarna is the brother of the demon king Ravana. Despite his size, terrifying features and voraciousness, he is in fact a gentle and devout being. Along with the Mahabharata, the Ramayana is one of the most important and comprehensive works of Indian literature. During the nightly performances the figures’ moving shadows accentuate the drama of the story being told.

L 139 cm; buffalo skin, wood, pigment; Andhra Pradesh, southern India; before 1964; Collection Koduru Ramamurthi; IIa 3175

In northern India men wear different types of turbans. The turban is an emblem of honour and respect. Owing to its size, putting on the pagrî each morning is quite an effort. The cloths measure around ten metres in length, some even well over twenty metres.

L 1150 cm; cotton, pigments, gold powder; Rajasthan, northern India; before 1976; Donation Alfred Bühler; IIa 6629

Successful warriors enjoyed high esteem among all Naga groups. They underlined their high status by displaying special adornments at feasts and ceremonies. The shield’s ornaments – stylized heads of humans, human hair, tiger skin, bear skin – indicate that its owner was a successful and veteran warrior.

H 160 cm; bamboo, rattan, tiger skin, bear skin, beetle wings, Job’s tears, feathers (chicken, pheasant, kingfisher, peacock), goat’s hair, pigment, human hair, cotton, buffalo skin; Angami-Naga, Kohima Village, Nagaland, India; before 1937; Collection Hans-Eberhard Kauffmann; IIb 1326

In Bali chickens are important sacrificial animals. However, they have to measure a certain minimum size. If the chicken passes through the hole in the board, it is not yet ready for sacrifice in a temple.

H 26 cm, hole diameter 5 cm; wood, plant fibre; Ipah village, Bali, Indonesia; before 1973; Donation Kelian Adat; IIc 17079

Among the Toraja of Sulawesi, families of high rank bury their dead in rock tombs. This tomb door shows in high relief the head of a buffalo. Among the Toraja people, buffaloes represent the most prestigious form of wealth.

H 75 cm; wood; Toraja, Sulawesi, Indonesia; early 20th c.; Collection August Flick; IIc 21420

The Japanese abacus was based on the Chinese suanpan that was introduced to Japan in the 14th century. If you know how to use it, the soroban is about just as good and fast as a pocket calculator. In primary school pupils learn with the soroban, not least because it visualizes the decimal system and is a good exercise for mental maths.

L 17 cm; bamboo, plastic; Tokyo, Japan; 1992; Collection Gerhard Baer; IId 11913

A mandala is a diagram consisting of circle and square. It unites the microcosm with the macrocosm and serves monks and nuns as an aid in meditation. The aim of meditation is to reach the state of complete emptiness of being – a prerequisite for the release from the painful cycle of rebirth.

L 75 cm; canvas, glue tempera, brocade; Tibet; around 1900; Collection Gerd-Wolfgang Essen; IId 13834

Buddhist prayer chains consist of 27 or 4 x 27, that is, 108 beads. They serve to keep count on the number of prayers or prostrations. The figure 108 is explained in different ways: some say one actually counts 100 prayers, while the remaining eight compensate for counting errors; others say the surplus eight are dedicated to all sentient beings.

D 20 cm; bone, shell, brass, cotton; Tibet; mid-20th c.; Collection Gerd-Wolfgang Essen; IId 14349

Decorative wood, stone or marble lattices are important elements in Islamic architecture. The ornamentation grows from the repeat of a potentially endless number of geometrical star, interlace, tendril motifs in unending combinations and rhythms. Commencing in the 15th century, stencils were used for this purpose.

L 194 cm; wood; Cairo, Egypt; before 1889; Collection Emil Paravicini-Engel; III 342

Among the Ga people of West Africa coffins are often fashioned in the shape of prestigious objects such as luxury cars or, as in this case, a Hummer. Fanciful designs were chosen to ease the deceased’s entry into the beyond and to propitiate the future ancestor. This specific coffin was commissioned by Museum Tinguely and created by the Ghanaian artist Kudjoe Affutu.

L 224 cm; wood, lacquer, pigment, foam rubber, textile; Ga; Awutu Bawyiase, Ghana; 2011; Artist: Kudjoe Affutu; Donation Museum Tinguely; III 27671

Among the Waurá people of Brazil, belts like this were worn by high male dignitaries at important events. The jaguar ranks among South America’s most powerful predators. Items made of jaguar skin indicate high social status and political power.

L 70 cm, jaguar skin, cotton; Waurá, Piyulagá, Upper Xingu, Mato Grosso, Brazil, before 1964, Collection Harald Schultz; IVc 11442

In the 1970s this type of canoe was still a common and popular means of transport in the Columbian rainforest. As a museum object it was definitely more awkward to handle, due to its size and protruding parts. Its stern and bow were damaged and its keel broken off, probably during shipment to Europe.

L 431 cm; wood, resin; Witoto, Columbia; ca. 1969; built by Porfirio Kuiru, Collection Jürg Gasché; IVc 17103

Kangaroo meat was an important source of protein among indigenous peoples of Australia. The animals were hunted by spear and boomerang. Successful hunters enjoyed high esteem in their community.

L 10 cm; resin, sinew, kangaroo hair; Northwest Australia; before 1925; Collection Emile Louis Bruno Clement; Va 315

This carved figure represents a woman. It was believed to have protective powers and was created in memory of a high-ranking woman.

H 265 cm; tree fern; island of Gaua, Banks Islands, Vanuatu; before 1912; Donation Felix Speiser-Merian; Vb 4374

During the performance of dema rituals among the Marind-anim of southern Papua, this type of shield was worn on the back, transforming the dancer into a primeval mythical being. For many years the shield was loaned to the Basel University Hospital where it was exhibited in the entrance hall. Structural changes made to the building during the period of loan made it almost impossible to get the object out again, requiring high precision work and much effort.

L 325 cm; wood, pigment; Marind-anim, south coast, Papua, Indonesia; before 1920; Donation Paul Wirz; Vb 5535

This comparatively small ancestral mask, which was worn by a dancer, formed the top of a construction that could reach a height of up to twelve metres. The conical “body” (not exhibited) was supported by men using long bamboo props. The mask was made of barkcloth and therefore quite light, even allowing the dancer to perform dance steps.

H 155 cm; barkcloth, bamboo, vine, leaf; Chachat-Baining, Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain, Papua New Guinea; before 1926; Collection Julius August Konietzko; Vb 6543

The devouring monster kaia imunu played a key role in elaborate initiation ceremonies. When not in use, the terrifying being was stored in the rearmost corner of the ceremonial house. In the days of headhunting it was fed with the heads and limbs of slain enemies.

L 330 cm; cane, coconut fibre, cassowary feather, bamboo, wood; Namau, Purari River, Papua New Guinea; before 1931; Collection Paul Wirz; Vb 8070

The large mask displayed on the gable of a men’s house lent the house a face and personality. The size of a mask depended on the size of the house, not on the physical dimensions of a potential wearer. The extensions increased the mask’s visual impact on the viewer.

L 112 cm; wood; Iatmul, Tambunum; Middle Sepik, Papua New Guinea; before 1930; Collection Felix Speiser-Merian; Vb 8888

Counting sticks were used in the context of bride wealth payments and other transactions. The number of sticks sticking in the board was a sign of how successful a man had been. According to Alfred Bühler, this stick indicated how many women the owner had slept with.

L 148 cm; midrib of palm leaf, bast fibre; Alukugg, Manus, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea; before 1930; Collection Alfred Bühler; Vb 10354

The house posts supported the floor and roof constructions of the ceremonial men’s houses. The richly carved roof supports were the tallest posts. Due to frequent flooding during the rainy season, most houses along the Sepik were built on stilts. Thus the posts were pivotal, both in an architectural and a mythical sense. They usually carried names and were associated with specific clan ancestors. In the myth of the first ceremonial men’s house it is recounted that the house was built under water and served as a residence to various ancestral and other spirit beings. As far as spirits and ancestors are concerned, water still plays a key role in the people’s belief, as indicated by the wavelike ornaments on some of the posts.

H 705 cm; wood; Kingaui, hinterland of Timbunke, Sepik region, Papua New Guinea; before 1962; Collection Franz Panzenböck; Vb 19613

The house posts supported the floor and roof constructions of the ceremonial men’s houses. The richly carved roof supports were the tallest posts. Due to frequent flooding during the rainy season, most houses along the Sepik were built on stilts. Thus the posts were pivotal, both in an architectural and a mythical sense. They usually carried names and were associated with specific clan ancestors. In the myth of the first ceremonial men’s house it is recounted that the house was built under water and served as a residence to various ancestral and other spirit beings. As far as spirits and ancestors are concerned, water still plays a key role in the people’s belief, as indicated by the wavelike ornaments on some of the posts.

H 412 cm; wood, cone shell; Kreimbit, Sepik region, Papua New Guinea; before 1959; Collection Alfred Bühler; Vb 22076

The carved crocodiles from the Karawari River represent pivotal beings in the local totemic clan system. They always appear in pairs and stand in a mythological kin relationship with the people. In their role as powerful spirit beings they support the men at war and on hunts. They feature human as well as animal traits.

L 723 cm; wood; Konmei and Mansamei, Karawari River, Sepik region, Papua New Guinea; before 1959; Collection Alfred Bühler; Vb 22078

Together with its counterpart this post formed part of a pair in the ceremonial men’s house of Aibom village. They supported one of the house’s two roof girders. Originally the posts were longer by about half a length, but for shipping they had to be sawn off at ground level.

H 375 cm; wood; Iatmul, Aibom, Kumalio River, Sepik region, Papua New Guinea; before 1965; Collection Meinhard Schuster; Vb 23584

These parts from the front of a ceremonial house were purchased already in the 1960s. Due to its size the façade had to be dismantled into six parts. The depiction of the huge ancestral faces reflects the cosmological worldview of the Abelam in which the ancestors also play an important part in everyday life.

H 365 cm; sago spathe, pigment, bast fibre; Koimbe/Kuminibus, Maprik area, Papua New Guinea; Collection Franz Panzenböck, before 1965; Vb 22173b03

These parts from the front of a ceremonial house were purchased already in the 1960s. Due to its size the façade had to be dismantled into six parts. The depiction of the huge ancestral faces reflects the cosmological worldview of the Abelam in which the ancestors also play an important part in everyday life.

H 330 cm; sago spathe, pigment, bast fibre; Koimbe/Kuminibus, Maprik area, Papua New Guinea; Collection Franz Panzenböck, before 1965; Vb 22173b05

The Janus-faced representation of a head is formed of a vine structure covered by strips of coconut fibre. The rows of teeth and the tongue are made of sago-palm midribs, as are the ear ornaments. The two-faced mask was kept in a men’s house.

L 181 cm; coconut fibre, pigment, midrib of sago-palm leaf, palm-pith bead; Iatmul; Sepik region, Papua New Guinea; before 1967; Collection Gallery Stephen Kellner, Australia; Vb 25265

The Asmat decorate the poles with ancestral emblems and headhunting symbols. They are made of hardwood found in the mangrove forest and placed upside down with the roots facing upwards. The position symbolizes the intermediate world where the souls of recently deceased people reside.

H 598 cm; wood; Asmat, Papua, Indonesia; before 1967; Exchange with Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde Leiden; Vb 25277

This Baining dance ornament from New Britain consists of a head with an upper and a lower jaw, resembling a snake. It is formed of a vine framework and attached to a staff decorated with ornamental patterns. It forms part of a larger assemblage, but it remains unclear how the head was originally attached to the cylindrical or sticklike body underneath.

L 270 cm; bark fibre, pigment, bamboo, vine; Uramot Baining; Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain, Papua New Guinea; before 1914; Collection Hiltrup Sacred Heart Mission; acquisition; Vb 28015

The mask symbolizes fertility and stands for the realm of the food gardens, the domain of women. The masks’ lower part depicted a variety of birds, the oblong upper part adorned with floral motifs shows a coconut palm.

L 245 cm; bark fibre, pigment, bamboo, vines, leaf; Uramot Baining; Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain, Papua New Guinea; before 1914; Collection Hiltrup Sacred Heart Missionaries; acquisition; Vb 28021

This model was built on a scale of 1:50 after a real ceremonial house. It was used in the field to discuss with interlocutors questions of construction in connection with the museum’s ceremonial house. The model served as a blueprint for the construction of the ceremonial house in the Museum der Kulturen Basel.

H 44 cm; wood, cord; Kalabu, Maprik area, Papua New Guinea; around 1979; Collection Brigitta and Jörg Hauser-Schäublin, Vb 28542

This coil of feather money is made of between fifty and sixty thousand sunbird feathers. Until the second half of the 20th century, feather money still formed part of a complex currency and trading system. It was a highly valued prestige object and used for larger transactions and in bride wealth exchanges.

L 900 cm; Sunbird feathers, pigeon feathers, bark fibre string, sea shell; Ndende, Santa-Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands; before 1989; Collection Volker Schneider; Vb 29956

This mask, worn by a man on his head, performed during the nocturnal fire dances. The masker was not permitted to jump through the fire. Among the Uramot, gender division is marked by the use of different paints: red stands for male attributes, black for female qualities.

L 412 cm; barkcloth, wood, bamboo, vine, leaf, pigment; Uramot Baining, Gaulim, Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain, Papua New Guinea; before 1989; Donation Volker Schneider; Vb 30229

The large mask displayed on the gable of a men’s house lent the house a face and personality. The size of a mask depended on the size of the house, not on the physical dimensions of a potential wearer. The extensions increased the mask’s visual impact on the viewer.

L 93 cm; wood, pigment; Middle Sepik, Papua New Guinea; probably before 1914; Collection Arthur Speyer Ethnografika-Handel; Bequest Elsa Eckert-Voegelin; Vb 31036

This plaited fish figure was worn by a dancer who entered it through a small opening. Among other occasions, the mask performed on « 14 juillet », the French national day, which is also celebrated in Tahiti. The collectors Theo Meier and Lucas Staehlin purchased this figure in 1932 and had it shipped to Basel.

L 450 cm; Pandanus fibre; Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia; before 1933; Collection Theo Meier and Lucas Staehlin von Mandach; Vc 710

In many parts of Polynesia and Melanesia, barkcloths are commonly produced by women. They are made from the inner bark fibre of the mulberry tree. By consistent beating the material not only grows thinner but also in size. The precious fabrics were used for making clothes, as burial shrouds and as wrappings for prestigious gifts; in addition they served as emblems of high rank and status.

L 2860 cm; barkcloth, pigment; Nuku-Alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga, Polynesia; before 1992; Donation Ingrid Schneider-Helmert; Vc 1638

Up to the introduction of the decimal system in the 19th century, triangular wooden sticks were used for measuring cloth in the Basel area. The cubit is a measure based on the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. In and around Basel, standardized cubits were often given to young girls and women as a present. They were individually decorated and had the woman’s name and the corresponding year inscribed on the wood.

L 55 cm; wood, pewter; Gelterkinden, Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland; 1794; Leopold Rütimeyer; VI 11141

When the metric system was introduced to twelve Swiss cantons in 1838, special measuring sticks helped the people to become accustomed with the new unit of measurement. The cantonal coats of arms served as official references to the changeover. As a concession to the previous system, the authorities temporarily introduced the “Swiss cubit” measuring exactly 60 cm in length, as the people were not yet accustomed to using the new metre stick.

L 73 cm; wood; Basel, Switzerland; 1838; Collection A. Gönner; VI 15926

The round wickerwork vessel has four handles. Filled with grain it was lifted into the air by four strong hands and shaken so that the grain dust clinging to the granules would drop to the ground. The basket was not used for transport purposes, for one thing because it was too heavy, for another because it was too big to pass through a normal door.

D 105 cm; wood, wickerwork; Wasen i. E., Bern, Switzerland; around 1900; Collection J. Lanz-Ruchti; VI 16984

The length of this strip is said to equal the height of Jesus. The roll of parchment is written on both sides: the one side features religious texts, the other magico-cabalistic signs and invocations used for exorcism purposes. Whoever bore the roll was safe from danger and harm.

L 175 cm; parchment, pigment; Zizers, Grisons, Switzerland; 18th c., Collection Emanuel Grossmann; VI 25297

The silver-plated metal cone decorated with stylized angels was kept in a private home and served as a vessel for the eternal light. It was placed next to an icon. The concept of eternal light is common to Judaism as well as to Orthodox and Catholic Christianity. The light stands for the ongoing presence of God.

L 35 cm; metal, silver; Greece; around 1960; Collection Robert Hiltbrand; VI 31404

This simple device allows a producer or merchant to control the discharge of oil with the aid of a tap. The drop is an inaccurate but widespread unit of measurement for small quantities of liquid. The only way to regulate the volume is by means of the exit valve’s diameter and the fluid’s consistency.

H 11 cm; sheet metal, cast iron; Basel, Switzerland; around 1900; Collection Karl Pfrommer; VI 32209