Suspension hook ·  Papua New Guinea - Sepik · ID: 3035981

Description

wood, blackish brown patina, not the whole shaft, but just the upper third carved with an anthropomorphic half figure, drilled hole, slightly dam., abrasion of paint, small traces of insect caused damage, rep. (sickle-shaped hook backside), small knothole, base;
figural hooks were integral components of men’s houses, serving two primary functions, both protective. The first was practical. The sculptures were hung from the rafters or eves, with valuable foods and personal items hung on their hooks, keeping them away from the numerous vermin. The second was the protection the hooks gave as intermediaries to the inhabitant ancestral spirits.