Funeral Post Description

The African tribe, Giryama, had many complex rituals and death traditions and one interesting ritual in particular is the creation and placement of a funeral post for the deceased.  The post is a light gray color, making it look like it was make out of stone rather than wood. This could be a way to make it look more valuable to suit the wealthy spirit that it represented. The cracks present on the wood show that it’s aged significantly, but since the color is a vibrant gray it shows that it’s taken care of.

The post itself has a striking contrast when it comes to the face and body. The face is natural and simple, while the rest of the rectangular body is filled with geometric shapes and cuts. The many shapes represented the events that occurred in the life of the individual, and the chunks that are severed from the edges could represent life and death. The precision and symmetry of the various triangles themselves show elegance, a display of hard work the definitely would have pleased the honored deceased. 

Picture: Traditional African Art. Digital image. Bwoom-Gallery. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.bwoom-gallery.com/Giryama%20post%20kigango%20120101%20Kenia.html>.

Information Source: Kampen-O'Riley, Michael. "Africa." Art beyond the West: The Arts of Africa, India and Southeast Asia, China, Japan and Korea, the Pacific, and the Americas. New York: H.N. Abrams, 2002. 243. Print.