Early male ancestor spirit figure ·  Papua New Guinea - Sepik · ID: 3047159

Description

wood, pigments, base

This particularly beautifully worked figure is decorated with curvilinear ornamentation and shows fine details, such as the feet formed at the base. The graceful arms reach up to the chin, which is extended by a bar-like extension.

The small size of the figure suggests a private use. According to old reports, some men have attached such small figures to their headdresses during ritual ceremonies.

The object Early male ancestor spirit figure with the object ID 3047159 was last part of the auction 95th Tribal Art Auction at October 24, 2020 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 95 achieved a sales price of EUR 4,500.

You can find more Figures and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on Oceanian art.

Comparing literature

Reche, Otto, Der Kaiserin-Augusta-Fluss, Hamburg 1913, p. 373 ff.