Male figure, Sepik River Coast Region, East Sepik... Lot 30

Male figure, Sepik River Coast Region, East Sepik Province Papua New Guinea Carved wood, ochre pigment. Height: 27 cm Early 20th century Provenance Kevin Conru Collection Characteristic of statuary from the coastal region of the Sepik River, notably for its champlevé headdress, this figure stands out for the power of its volumes. A large head, with a smiling face and a mouth finely engraved on either side with demicircles depicting a beard, is placed directly on a body with a thick thorax adorned with a geometric design under the chin. An imposing curved nose affirms the ancestor's virility. The septum and ears are pierced for the attachment of ornaments. The bent legs, without feet, are fixed on a circular base. Representing an important ancestor of the clan, these figures were intended to accompany each individual through all stages of life, starting with initiation. "Most often kept in the men's homes, these sculptures received offerings of flowers, areca nuts or betel leaves during invocations" (in. Peltier- Schindlbeck & Kaufmann, 2015, page 182).