Telefomin Doorboard, Papua New Guinea

Doorboard (Amitung), 20th Century Telefol people; Telefomin village, Star Mountains, Sandaun (West Sepik) Province, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia Wood and paint; 109 ½ x 33 ½ x 1 1/8 in. 2009.5.12 Bowers Museum General Acquisition Fund Purchase

The Telefomin are one of several related highland peoples known as the “Min” or “Mountain Ok” who live in the Star Mountains, located at the source of the Sepik River in Sanduan Province, Papua New Guinea. They derive their name from Telefolip Village, their ancestral home and cultural center. As with other Mountain Ok people, the Telefomin have separate housing for men, women, and children. Telefomin houses tend to be built in a simple “A-frame” design, and are usually slightly elevated off the ground with stilts or a raised earthen foundation. Despite this simplistic architecture and general lack of decorative artwork, the Telefomin are famous for their fine carved doorboards that adorn the fronts of most of their houses. The doorboards are called amitung, and are carved from planks made of large softwood trees. Each doorboard has a unique design, although they always feature similar spiral and geometric motifs and are painted with red, white, and black pigments. Skilled artists are usually commissioned to carve the doorboards. In addition to their payment, they are given food for the duration of the project and a gift of pork upon its successful completion. The first step for an artist carving a doorboard is to draw a design with charcoal on the selected plank. The areas around the design are then cut away, leaving a low-relief image. Finally, the artist paints the board, using black for the raised areas and red and white for the recessed areas. Although the finished doorboards are quite beautiful, they are meant to serve more than just aesthetic purposes. The doorboards are typically about 9 feet tall, but only have 2-foot high openings. These small holes help keep the houses warm in the cold mountain climates by retaining heat. In the past, they were also meant to be easily defended in the case of an enemy attack. The sturdiness of these doorboards ensured that they could be used over several generations. Luckily, this also means that their beauty will be preserved for many more generations to come. All text and images under copyright. Please contact Collection Department for permission to use. Information subject to change upon further research.