Zemanek-Münster

Female ancestor figure "kawe" ·  Westneuguinea / Westpapua (Irian Jaya), Asmat · ID: 3033830

sold EUR 4,500
Provenance
Julius Konietzko, Hamburg, Germany
Lore Kegel, Hamburg, Germany
P. Kummert, Frankfurt, Germany
Size
H: 72 cm
H: 28.3 inch

Description

wood, brown patina, extremely elongated slender limbs, “hanging” feet, incised ornamental decor, the ribcage indicated, dam. (nose, mouth), missing parts (toes), strong abrasion, on base;
in the Asmats creation myth the big hero “fumeripit” carved a number of human figures. When beating his drum they came alive, forming the first clans. The rigid motionlessness of the “kawe” figures should remind of the initial inanimateness of the first human beings.


The object Female ancestor figure “kawe” with the object ID 3033830 was last part of the auction 71st tribal art auction at November 24, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 51 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

Helfrich, Klaus u.a., Asmat, Berlin 1996, p. 184, ill. 12.14


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