What is a Bis Pole and Why Were They Desired by Collectors?
The exhibition central to my latest novel, Rituals of the Dead: An Artifact Mystery, is based on an actual exhibition of Asmat art entitled Bis Poles: Sculptures from the Rain Forest. I can imagine most readers are now thinking – what the heck is a bis pole? Ancestor Objects Carved to Honor the Dead These ancestor objects – akin to Native American totem poles – are created to honor the recently departed during a ‘bis’ ceremony. A bis…