Canoe prow "tsji tsjemen" · Westneuguinea / Westpapua (Irian Jaya), Asmat · ID: 3042823
Description
wood, brown patina, remains of black paint and pigment, in shape of an ancestor figure, with elongated arms embracing the mighty beak of a hornbill, slightly dam./crack (head), minor missing parts (right foot tip, back, ears), abrasion of paint, base.
These motifs, at the head of the canoe, create a sense of unity between the men paddling the canoe and their ancestors, whose spirits protect them.
The object Canoe prow “tsji tsjemen” with the object ID 3042823 was last part of the auction 87th Tribal Art Auction at November 11, 2017 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 12.
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Comparing literature
Smidt, Dirk, Asmat Art, Leiden 1993, p. 110 ff