Hook "garra" ·  Papua New Guinea - Hunstein Mountains · ID: 3032948

Description

wood, dark brown patina with remains of black paint, projection in the centre whitened with kaolin, the corpus painted with white dots, slightly dam., cracks, on block-like base;
“garra” are carried in the hands of male dancers during initiation ceremonies. The concentric hooked “garra” are not true masks. They are thought to represent an image of the cosmos with the hooks of the hornbill beaks distributed around the middle element of the sun and moon. Others interpret the “garra” as representing a catfish. Hooked “garra” are also identified with water spirits, and should be kept immersed or at least in a wet place.

Comparing literature

Meyer, Anthony J.P., Ozeanische Kunst, Vol. I, Köln 1995, p. 265 f.

Publications

Exhibition

OCEANIA, Kunst fra Melanesien, Louisianna Museet, Denmark 1991