Art of the Ancestors Top Features of 2025

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Large Carving of Human-like Face | © Dallas Museum of Art
Female Deity Figure | © Museum Fünf Kontinente
Figurative Lime Spatula | © The Trustees of the British Museum
Zoomorphic Tobacco Pipe | © The Trustees of the British Museum
War Canoe Prow Ornament | © Penn Museum

As we approach 2026, Art of the Ancestors presents a curation of our most popular features from this past year.

We would like to extend our deepest appreciation to our audience and contributors for their ongoing support of our endeavors. It is our objective to showcase more masterworks, fascinating cultural traditions, and distinguished forums for artistic appreciation in the year of the horse.

We are always pleased to hear from our readers around the world and learn more about their unique passions, so we encourage you to open a dialogue through our Contact page. 

With respect and affection, 

Art of the Ancestors Editorial Team

Polynesian Masterworks in Museum Fünf Kontinente

“Fisherman’s God” — Figure of a Supernatural Being
© Museum Fünf Kontinente, Marietta Weidner

Northwest Coast Art in the British Museum | Part I

Totemic Human Mask
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Arts of Borneo in University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Spinning Wheel | Gasieng
© University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Arts of the Milne Bay and the Trobriand Islands in Global Collections | Part I

Wooden Canoe Prow
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Vanuatu Arts in Global Museum Collections

Male Ancestor Figure
© The Trustees of the British Museum

“SEA ART” by Ana & Antonio Casanovas of Arte y Ritual with contributions from Jerome Feldman, Philippe Bourgoin, & Wil Roebroeks | Review by Steven G. Alpert

Altar Figure | Iene
South Maluku, Leti
H. 41 cm
© Ana & Antonio Casanovas / Photographer: Hughes Dubois

Cultural History In Focus | “Custom, Combat, and Ceremony: Java and the Indo-Persian Textile Trade” by Jiri Jakl & Tom Hoogervorst

Indian Trade Cloth
Found in Java, Indonesia, made in India
Cotton; block-printed, possibly hand-painted
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Kip Lee, Singapore
2015.91.14
© Yale University Art Gallery

“Further Adventures in Chronology and Authenticity: The Kayanic Arts of Borneo” by Antonio J. Guerreiro & Steven G. Alpert

Warrior's Headdress Ornament, Frontal Figure | Tap Lavong Kayo
© The Dallas Museum of Art

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