Talking about carving, the land of Papua is indeed famous for it. However, the most popular one is probably only the carvings from the Asmat tribe. In fact, there are carvings belonging to the Kamoro Tribe which are meaningful and also beautiful. You can probably find it at the Kamoro Festival.
This is one of the cultural festivals in Papua. Because its scale is smaller than other festivals, this Kamoro is held several times a year. Here, you can watch many performances that are full of cultures. For example, the traditional dances of Papua, such as Cassowary Dance.
Then, you could also find many handicrafts made by the Kamoro Tribe. This is where you can hunt for their carvings.
The Carving Tradition of the Kamoro Tribe
In fact, the Kamoro Tribe has very meaningful carvings. Not much different from the carvings tradition of the Asmat Tribe, this tradition has been passed down since the time of their ancestors. What makes it more interesting, is only members of the Kamoro Tribe can carve these traditional carvings.
That is the reason why the crafts of the Kamoro Tribe are hard to find elsewhere. You can only find it in Mimika, where the Kamoro Tribe originates. Not only that, you can only find it in certain events. For example, in the festival of Kamoro, the artisans show off their crafts.
It is one of the reasons why you should attend the festival. Besides, you can learn about the culture of the Kamoro Tribe, you can also buy some crafts from the locals.
The Meaning of Carving for the Kamoro Tribe
For members of the Kamoro Tribe, carving does not only have an aesthetic meaning. However, there are spiritual and religious aspects to it. That is why it is only the members of the Kamoro Tribe are allowed to craft it. Only certain clans could carve certain designs.
This is due to the belief of the Kamoro Tribe that, in the past, their ancestors had certain symbols. This symbol is a special sign for certain clans in the past. For example, fish, alligators, etc. They would leave the symbol somewhere when they visited it. So the other clans would know if they had been here before.
So, it became special to them. If they have an alligator symbol, they are not allowed to carve with a fish design and vice versa. They can only carve it with the permission of the clan in question. If they made carvings of certain designs without permission, then bad luck would certainly happen to them.
This makes the carvings of the Kamoro tribe more aesthetic, original, and exclusive. So, for those who like art, especially carving, you must have at least one carving from the Kamoro Tribe.
Hunting the Carvings at the Festival
You need to know that there are several famous carvings from the Kamoro Tribe. For example, carving statues with various heights. However, it takes a lot of work to hunt for these carvings. You can only find it at certain events, for example, the festival of Kamoro.
Here, you can find various types of carvings with various designs and sizes. So, here you can find which carving is the best suited for what you want. Therefore, do not be surprised if this festival is the perfect place if you want to hunt for carvings and other handicrafts from the Kamoro Tribe.
Aside from hunting for crafts, you can also enjoy many other activities. You can watch art and cultural parades and taste various traditional foods. So, if you visit Mimika, coming to the Kamoro Festival is the right choice. It would probably be fun and also very meaningful.