Abelam Yam Figure

Figures like this example were placed in the Men’s house also referred to in pidgin ” haus tambaran”. The male-dominated tambaran or tambaram culture uses the haus tambaran as a meeting-house and site for rituals and initiations. It is also used in worship for the yam cult, the yam being the staple food for the Sepik people. The women serve primarily as preparers of feasts, outsiders, and spectators. The giant spirit, called Nggwal or Ngwalndu among the Abelam, is personified as noises that can be heard coming from the haus tambaran.  Nggwal is the primary ancestor deity, though other cultural heroes are also often depicted in cultural and sacred arts.

Figures like this example were used in ceremonies to invoke ancestors beings.