Zemanek-Münster

Yams head

Papua New Guinea, Abelam/Wosera
sold EUR 950
Provenance
Gallery Flak, Paris, France
Size
H: 16 cm
H: 6.3 inch

Description

balsa wood, painted in traditional colours with red, white and black pigment, slightly dam., minor missing parts (nose, left cheek), base;
selected yams become the central element of harvest festivals. Carved wooden heads were attached to the yams, transforming them into ancestral spirits or “nggwal”. They are dressed in jewels and finery, including body paint.


Publications

Galerie Flak (ed.), Rites et formes de Papouasie Nouvelle-Guinée, Paris, France, p. 76

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