Shield
Westneuguinea / Westpapua (Irian Jaya) - Cenderawasih-Bay
sold
EUR 3,500
Provenance
Dutch Private Collection (collected before the 1940s)Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 28 June 2014, Lot 41
Alex Arthur, Brussels, Belgium
Size
H: 114 cm, B: 22 cm
H: 44.9 inch, B: 8.7 inch
Description
wood, pigments,
A stylized “korvar” ancestor figure in the middle section, another one in full plastic form at the upper end.
“Korvar” are 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.
Cenderawasih Bay (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.