Shield · Westneuguinea / Westpapua (Irian Jaya) - Cenderawasih-Bay · ID: 3042918
Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 28 June 2014, lot 41
Alex Arthur, Brussels, Belgium
Description
wood, black paint, white pigment, the front divided in three compartments, painted with hook ornaments, the stylized figure of an ancestor “korvar” in the middle section, a second one in fully plastic form on top, handle backside, slightly dam., abrasion of paint.
Cenderawasih Bay (Indonesian: “Teluk Cenderawasih”), formerly Dutch “Geelvinkbaai”, is a large bay in the north of Western New Guinea. Western New Guinea (formerly Irian Jaya), is the Indonesian part of the island, while the eastern part forms the state of Papua New Guinea.
All ethnical groups in this area carve “korvar”, figural representations of ancestors. “Korvar” provide the link between the worlds of the dead and the living. As in most Oceanic cultures, the ancestor is consulted for advice and help in all major matters.
Comparing literature
Barbier, Jean Paul, Benitez-Johannot, P., Shields, Munich, London, New York 2000, ill. 65