Bowl "jifai"
Papua New Guinea, Asmat, Buepis Village
sold
EUR 1,200
Provenance
collected in situ by Jacq Hoogerbrugge, The Netherlands (1958)Hoogerbrugge (1923 - 2014) served as transport agent of the Royal Dutch Shipping Company and subsequently as a UNESCO official in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Size
L: 88,5 cm
L: 34.8 inch
Description
wood, blackish brown patina, kaolin, the backside covered with raised ornamental decor: female ancestor spirit in the centre, surrounded by “bipane” motifs and hand-like symbols, remains of kaolin inside the bowl, slightly dam., abrasion of paint, base.
Bowls of the Asmat were mainly used for food, furthermore they served for mixing colours which were needed for the painting of carvings.