Cane North of the Massim region Papua New Guinea Ebony... Lot 25

Cane North of the Massim region Papua New Guinea Ebony with glossy patina Height: 93.7cm 19th - 20th century Provenance: Robert Beckmann Collection, Nevada - Robert Beckmann Collection, Nevada - Jolika de Marcia & John Friede Collection - Harry Beran Collection (HB599) - Bill Evans, Caspian Gallery, July 1993, - Eric Rowlison Collection (inscribed R 19.1976), - Ruth Mac Nicoll Collection - Jim Mac Quiggan Collection In the islands and archipelagos of Papua New Guinea, 110 species of snake have been recorded (Bernard Faliu, Les morsures de serpents chez les Mekeo de Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée, Journal de la société des Océanistes, 1989, P.19-43), venomous, dangerous or harmless, they are linked to both evil and healing powers, to specialists in witchcraft, divination and therapy. A rare example featuring a human figure clinging to the cane, with an undulating snake encircling the upper part of the cane. According to Harry Beran, it's "an interesting example of a more elaborate design than traditional sticks. It has a metal tip, probably applied after export."