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The ceremonial Men’s House is the sacred dwelling of the initiated men and of the spirits. This kind of building is found in many cultures of Oceania, but those of the Middle Sepik are the most elaborate from an aesthetic viewpoint. Called tambaran, these constructions can reach 25 metres in length and exceed 18 metres in height. They occupy a central position in the villages and are built in the area reserved for ceremonies. The Men’s House is usually built on two levels. On the ground floor it is surrounded by large sculpted poles, decorated with totem symbols, and it is divided into spaces with hearths, each of which is assigned to a single clan. Here also are the huge slit drums, the small stools and the hooks sculpted and painted with anthropomorphic illustrations, which are hung from the beams to hold the food baskets.
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