A Sepik 'panggal' sago spathe or tree bark painting of an ancestral figure

East-Sepik Province, Keram River, early 20th century

The painting in non-binded pigment on sago spathe, bark of a sago palm, depicts an ancestral figure surrounded by a saw fish, two masks and several floral and seed motives.

H. 139 x W. 111 cm

Provenance:
Collected by missionary Georg Hölker between 1934 and 1938, for the collection of The Divine World Missionaries, founded at Steyl near Venlo in the Netherlands in 1875

Sago spathe is a protective, often fibrous or woody sheath that encloses the flower cluster (inflorescence) of the sago palm, particularly Metroxylon sagu. The spathe is also a large bract that shields the palm's developing flowers and seeds until they are mature. In traditional practices, the spathe of the sago palm is sometimes harvested for its material, which can be used for various purposes, including crafting containers, tools, or decorative items. The sago palm is mainly valued for the starchy pith within its trunk, which is processed into sago, a staple food in many parts of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.

The original mission house in Steyl, where the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) was founded in 1875, is now home to the Missiemuseum Steyl, founded in 1931. Items like the present panggal were brought back by missionaries from all corners of the globe, particularly Asia, Africa, and Latin America. They served to educate apprentice missionaries about what they would encounter on a mission.

The museum's exhibits, which include taxidermy, cultural artefacts, Indigenous art, and items related to the everyday life of people in mission areas, offer a global perspective on the history of missionary work and the intercultural encounters that were part of the SVD’s mission. Visitors can explore displays that illustrate the interaction between European missionaries and the cultures they engaged with, offering perspectives on both controversial and positive aspects of missionary work. However contentious, one could be thankful the missionaries decided to collect, preserve and exhibit all these objects instead of burning, throwing them in lakes or destroying them in the name of our Good Lord.