Description

This is a carved wooden figure decorated with paint, cowrie and nassa shells, fine grass weaving, string and a boar tusk. The figure originates from the Iatmul People in the middle Sepik River region of Papau New Guinea. The Iatmul people are a large community with many of their villages situated on the banks of the Sepik River. Each village has one or more impressive ceremonial houses. Figures and ritual objects essential to the well being of the community were in these houses. This piece was probably produced in the 1960s and was crafted for sale, to illustrate how the ancestor-figure shields might have been held for ceremonial use. For more information on Papua New Guinea and Pacific Islands art, visit www.new-guinea-tribal-arts.com/.