Ornament for sacred flute · Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée, Sawos · ID: 3041454
Joris Visser, Brussels, Belgium
Mr. Slot, The Netherlands
Galerie Flak, Paris, France (2007)
American Private Collection, Los Angeles, USA
Description
wood, reddish brown patina, traces of encrusted black paint, standing male figure, surmounted by a big toucan, encompassing the figures head with his long legs and his mighty curved beak, slightly dam., hairline crack, missing parts (both feet), paint rubbed off, base;
the figure represents a male ancestor who had insulted a powerful spirit by “stealing” his fish. He has been transformed into a fish-eating bird. Present figure depicting the moment of transformation.The great flutes are amongst the most sacred and important objects of the clan. They are the voice of the spirits and must never be seen by women or uninitiated men.
Littérature comparée
Friede, John and Marcia, New Guinea Art, Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection, San Francisco 2005, Vol. 1, ill. 235