Oceanic Art - Figures Enlargement

This archaic piece comes from the Yimar culture that lives along at the headwaters of the Karawari River in Papua New Guinea. This head would probably been attached to an attenuated figure that has now been lost. Such pieces were kept in ceremonial houses and caves and were ancestral spirits responsible for warfare and hunting. This piece is pre-contact, stone-carved with a nice patina and traces of red ochre and a deeply cut pierced septum. The piece has been permanently attached to the custom metal display stand by the previous owner. The head is 11 ½" in height and priced at $1200.