Korewari Figures:

Aripa of the Inyai-Ewa People

The ancient wooden sculptures of the Inyai-Ewa people, from the upper Korewori River in the Sepik region, are some of the earliest surviving Melanesian wood carvings. These figures, preserved in rock shelters, remain protected from the elements and some date back from the 16th Century. These carvings depict various supernatural beings and are regarded as essential elements of the Inyai-Ewa’s spiritual and cultural identity. Among the figures, there are broad, flat female forms often identified as representations of primordial sisters who helped shape the world or as ancestors tied to specific clans. Male figures, depicted with two legs, likely represent primordial ancestors tied to the clans, while the most abundant carvings are the one-legged male figures, known as aripa.

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Aripa Male Figures

Aripa figures were significant in the lives of Inyai-Ewa men, especially in relation to hunting. These carvings were kept in men’s ceremonial houses (called koa) during the owner’s lifetime, and after death, they were moved to rock shelters, where they served as memorials. These aripa were believed to house spirits that acted as hunting assistants, particularly in the pursuit of wild pigs and cassowaries. The figures were carefully crafted to depict both the external and internal anatomy of the human body, with cross-sectional carvings revealing the organs. This ‘X-ray’ style of carving was not only an artistic expression but also symbolized the spiritual connection between the physical and metaphysical worlds.

Korewari figure | Karawari Figure |Aripa

According to Eric Kjellgren, the Karawari figures represent primordial beings that shaped the landscape and human society. These beings existed in a supernatural realm, parallel to the human world. When one of these beings wished to be represented, its soul (tite) would appear to the carver in a dream. This vision would instruct the carver on how to create the figure and determine its placement—whether in a rock shelter or in the men’s house. The carvings were not merely artistic; they were spiritual manifestations that helped maintain the balance between the living and the spiritual realms.

One of the most distinctive aspects of the aripa figures is their stylization. While the head and single leg are modeled naturally, the body is shown in cross-section, revealing internal organs such as the heart, lungs, intestines, and ribcage. The spine is represented by a spiny dorsal line, and the abdominal wall is shown as a thin bar. The figures have become iconic representations of the Inyai-Ewa’s intricate relationship between the body, spirit, and nature.

Female Figures of the Inyai-Ewa People

Among the many figures created by the Inyai-Ewa people, the broad, flat female figures are particularly striking. These carvings are often surrounded by serrated forms, representing ornamental wigs, and depict older women, as evidenced by the long, pendulous breasts. Some of these female figures are believed to represent two primordial sisters who helped shape the world, creating valleys where the Inyai-Ewa live and hunt. In some oral traditions, these figures also symbolize the founders of particular clans. They were typically displayed in rock shelters where they could be viewed by the entire community, emphasizing their importance to collective identity.

Hook Figures

The distribution of Aripa and similar carvings, such as the Yipwon from the Yiman people and Garra of the bahinemo, reveals a fascinating interplay of cultural exchange and spiritual beliefs. Although the Aripa yipwon and Garra originated from different language groups, the sculptures were used in similar ways.

For example, a yipwon was brought to Inyai to combat a disease that the aripa could not cure, showing how the yipwon was incorporated into the spiritual and hunting practices of different communities. Additionally, there are accounts of yipwon figures being exchanged between the Alamblak and Inyai-Ewa people, especially in the mid-20th century, to facilitate peace and trade.

Stylistically the figures are related and all were used for hunting and protection.

Personal note: the other area that has opposing hook figures is the middle Ramu. The Middle Ramu have a origin story that their ancestors were forcefully expelled from the Upper Sepik centuries ago and their ancestors walked all the way to the middle Ramu taking their related art style and spiritual beliefs with them.

Archaic Abelam Figures also often have opposing hooks and are possibly related.

Karawari Figures | korewari figure | Aripa

The female figures, made from the buttress roots of trees, often feature carvings of internal organs and other significant anatomical details. The figures were used as spiritual representations and were the physical manifestations of the mother of the clan, female ancestors who were central to the community’s origin stories.

Male Aripa Figures

The aripa figures are perhaps the most numerous and important of the Inyai-Ewa carvings. Each man would own an aripa, which was kept in the men’s ceremonial house and was believed to hold the spirit of the hunter. The aripa played a vital role in hunting, acting as a supernatural assistant. Before a hunt, the hunter would offer a mixture of the animal’s droppings and his own blood to the aripa, which would cause the spirit to embark on a nocturnal hunt. If successful, the animal would be easier to catch the next day. In the case of warfare, the aripa also assisted in raids by aiding the spirits of the hunters in defeating enemies.

When a man died, his aripa would be taken to a rock shelter, where it would join those of other deceased hunters. This transition marked the end of the aripa‘s active role in the men’s house but allowed the spirit to continue to guide the community. Sometimes, a particularly effective aripa would be brought back into the men’s house, re-enlivened by a new spirit, and put back to work.

Korewari Figures value

The best of these sculptures can sell for $100,000 or more but the majority from $2000 -25,000. Collectors should be extremely cautious because examples made recently(but weathered and made to look older) come up in even prestigeous auction houses.

Upper Sepik Hook Figures

Aripa have strong stylistic similarities to Yipwon and Garra. They also have a related set of spiritual beliefs or at least associated beliefs. Whether the Hook elements on Aripa represent Hornbills like on Garra and archaic Abelam Sculpture is poorly documented but is certainly a possibility. It is quite likely that offerings to the hunting charms also included placing meat on the hooks as a way of feeding the spirit of the object.