Damarau or Sago Storage Vessel (detail)

Featured here is part of a collection of exceptionally fine, large

Damarau. Each is adorned with the face of a local deity. Why do these faces appear on their surface? Is it for good luck, to safeguard the food, or do they make an appearance like past Presidents on paper money? Perhaps it’s just to remind us that even ordinary objects can be meaningful, beautifully designed, and have value far beyond their function.

Damarau or Sago Storage Vessel from Papa New Guinea

Along the banks of the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea, women in

Aibom Village craft elaborately modeled, decorated pots called Damarau. They are used to store flour made from the Sago palm tree, yet their value dramatically exceeds their usefulness. They are the principle means of exchange among villagers and neighboring communities. Got a Damarau? You can get a goat, a new canoe, maybe even a vehicle with an engine. In the collectors’ world they also have extreme value, perhaps because they have become so scarce. It’s fair to say, if you own a Damarau you automatically have a prized possession.

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