Small figure · Papua New Guinea - Trobriand Islands, Massim · ID: 3036029
not available anymore
Provenance
Michael Auliso, San Francisco, USASize
H: 17,5 cm
H: 6.9 inch
Description
wood, slightly shiny black patina, columnar base, crowned by a stylized half figure with visible rows of teeth and flat headgear, min. dam., small missing part (headgear), slight traces of abrasion, base;
figurative free-standing sculpture is extremely rare in the Massim area. While the human figure, animals and birds of all kinds are commonly found as decorative and symbolic elements on utilitarian items, full-figure representations of spirits and ancestors appear to be very limited.