Flute stopper

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Description

wood, dark brown patina, red paint, white pigment, crowned by the elongated figure of a toucan with the typical large beak, eyes with nassa snail inlay, drilled nostrils, drilled holes at the back for attachment of ornament, slightly dam., abrasion of paint, crack, base;
great flutes are amongst the most sacred and important objects of a clan. They are the voice of the spirits and must never be seen by women or uninitiated men.

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Publications

Galerie Flak (ed.), Rites and Forms of Papua New Guinea, Paris 2009, p. 55

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Exposition

Rites and Forms of Papua New Guinea, Paris 2009

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