Figural suspension hook · Papua New Guinea, Middle Sepik, Sawos · ID: 3047128
Mayer (1936-2018) was a British-born American independant publisher who was president of “The Overlook Press”, a Woodstock, New York-based publishing company he founded with his father in 1971.
Description
wood, colour pigments, kaolin, traces of resin,
The male figure represents an important clan ancestor, known by name, who was supposed to assist in hunting and warfare and in warding off diseases.
To obtain this support he was offered food, areca nuts and tobacco. It was believed that the spirit inherent in the hook accompanied the hunters and warriors in their undertakings.
The object Figural suspension hook with the object ID 3047128 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 21 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,300.
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Comparing literature
Craig, Barry (ed.), Living spirits with fixed abodes, Honolulu 2010, p. 93