Ceremonial house decoration "garra" ·  Papua New Guinea - Hunstein Mountains, Bahinemo · ID: 3033757

Description

wood, red and yellow ochre, white and black pigment, concave vaulted stylized face with superimposed hook-shaped projections, slightly dam., cracks, paint rubbed off, water spots;
“garra” masks represent bush spirits and older men. The hooks are seen as stylized hornbill beaks. The masks were hung from the rafters in the Men’s House. All the “garra” (= secret items) of the Bahinemo are believed to have been originally created by “wimogou” and “igoshua”, a mythical couple who are said to still live on a small island at the mouth of the April River.

The object Ceremonial house decoration “garra” with the object ID 3033757 was last part of the auction 71st tribal art auction at November 24, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 64.

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Comparing literature

Meyer, Anthony J.P., Ozeanische Kunst, Vol. I, Köln 1995, p. 266