Bisj Pole

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A Bisj Pole, or Bis Pole, is a ritual artifact used by the Asmat people of south-western New Guinea. Objects similar to Bisj Poles are found among many peoples of the South Pacific islands - in New Zealand, and on Vanuatu.

Carved out of a single piece of mangrove tree, the poles can reach heights of up to 25 feet (7.62 meters), and consist of human figures standing on top of each other, as well as animal figures, fertility symbols, or canoes. The human figures would represent deceased ancestors, and the Bisj Pole was used after a headhunting raid, when the headhunting was enacted in front of the pole to prove to the ancestors that their deaths had been avenged. At the same time, the canoe-like shape of the pole would ensure safe passage to the otherworld for the spirits of the dead. Although headhunting ended in the Asmat region in the 1970s, the poles are still used in rituals today.