Uli figures were made in central New Ireland and served as the focus for memorial ceremonies honoring a recently deceased dead man. Following the death of such a village chief, a series of pig feasts were held every month for a full year. They culminated in a final gathering for which the figure had been carved to represent the deceased. People from neighboring villages assembled at this time… and brought with them old Ulis that had been repainted for the occasion and that they displayed in huts constructed especially for this purpose. When the newly carved Uli was brought out, a shaman assisted in inducing the spirit of the deceased chief to enter the carving, and after the ceremony, the work was kept in the men’s house where it would continue to aid the successor and his people…Although Ulis represent male chiefs, they are also hermaphroditic, as indicated by the female breasts. (Wardwell 1994: 114)
