• Kundima village, middle Karawari River, Karawari speakers, East Sepik Province.
• Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery registration number 81.26.178 (original registration number lost but identified as E.937, registered 7 June 1963)
• Information taken from Barry Craig, 'Living spiritis with fixed abodes', University of Hawaii Press, 2010

By far the largest sculpture in the exhibition, at over six metres long, this figure is of a great crocodile spirit from the Korewori River. It represents a powerful type of spirit being saki. Spirit crocodiles were kept in pairs in the ceremonial house and were protectors of the village, especially during times of war, with one belonging to each of the village’s founding clans. They were important in initiation events and played a major part in preparations for headhunting raids. It would be appealed to for directions regarding the impending raid and to augur the outcome. Along the back of the spirit crocodile figures are stylised forms of foods that the initiates are prohibited to eat, such as birds, frogs and fruits.

On the tip of the snout there is the face of a wunduma female spirit, a benevolent being that represents ‘the mother who never turns her back on her children’. Along the sides are designs showing the lungs, stomach and intestines of the spirit crocodile. At the junctures of the neck and tail are pairs of what look to be crocodile’s legs raised on its back, but they are part of a more heavily stylised figure and are meant to be the arms of a fighting spirit who lives in creeks and has a dangerous nature that ‘drives people to fight, making them fearless and strong’.

This particular spirit crocodile was presented to Assistant District Officer P Donaldson while patrolling the Korewori River in 1959.

By far the largest sculpture in the exhibition, at over six metres long, this figure is of a great crocodile spirit from the Korewori River. It represents a powerful type of spirit being saki. Spirit crocodiles were kept in pairs in the ceremonial house and were protectors of the village, especially during times of war, with one belonging to each of the village’s founding clans. They were important in initiation events and played a major part in preparations for headhunting raids. It would be appealed to for directions regarding the impending raid and to augur the outcome. Along the back of the spirit crocodile figures are stylised forms of foods that the initiates are prohibited to eat, such as birds, frogs and fruits.

On the tip of the snout there is the face of a wunduma female spirit, a benevolent being that represents ‘the mother who never turns her back on her children’. Along the sides are designs showing the lungs, stomach and intestines of the spirit crocodile. At the junctures of the neck and tail are pairs of what look to be crocodile’s legs raised on its back, but they are part of a more heavily stylised figure and are meant to be the arms of a fighting spirit who lives in creeks and has a dangerous nature that ‘drives people to fight, making them fearless and strong’.

This particular spirit crocodile was presented to Assistant District Officer P Donaldson while patrolling the Korewori River in 1959.