Sepik Ancestral Figure Mask with Elaborate Carvings
A middle Sepik River ancestral figure mask, Papua New Guinea, squatting figure raised on a curvilinear triangle, elbows resting on the thighs, elongated nose reaches the base, imposing headdress, body shaped as another ancestral figure, rattan structure with a few remnant feathers on the backside aperture. The whole sculpture thoroughly incised with geometric motifs and carved with multiple ancestral figures, producing a striking optical effect in the tradition of Sepik arts: complex ancestral representations destabilise and appear to be in constant transformation. Height 39.37 in., width 11.81 in. Provenance: from the collection of Keith St Cartmail
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- Incised - A record of a name, date or inscription, or a decoration scratched into a surface, usually of a glass or ceramic item with a blunt instrument to make a coarse indentation. Compare with engraving where the surface is cut with a sharp instrument such as a metal needle or rotating tool to achieve a fine indentation.
This item has been included into following indexes:
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New Guinea tribal artefacts
- carved figures 617
- headdresses 41
- masks and helmets 519
- sculptures 21
