Lot 0087

20th C. New Guinea Asmat Wooden Ancestral Head

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20th C. New Guinea Asmat Wooden Ancestral Head

Item Details

Description

**Originally Listed At $100**

Southeast Asia/Oceania, New Guinea, Asmat peoples, ca. early to mid 20th century CE. A hand-carved wooden head of an ancestor, with exaggerated features such as a long and thin nose with bulbous nostrils, protruding eyebrows, tiny curved ears, lengthy extended chin, and an oblong-shaped hairline. The face, neck, and wide base are painted in a deep shade of burgundy, and the carved eyes are shaded in a bright white hue with faded black pupils. A thick base holds the enlarged head upright and is relatively stable. Such a head would have been carved in memoriam for a deceased family member and would have been displayed as a physical reminder of them for all to see. Size: 6" L x 4.75" W x 11.75" H (15.2 cm x 12.1 cm x 29.8 cm).

Provenance: private Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA collection, acquired at auction

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

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#123537

Condition

Surface wear commensurate with age, minor losses to base, nose, eyebrows, ears, and hair, several age cracks visible on surface, and minor fading to pigmentation.

Buyer's Premium

24.5%

20th C. New Guinea Asmat Wooden Ancestral Head

Name: 20th C. New Guinea Asmat Wooden Ancestral Head
SKU: 56985979
Price: 74 USD
Availability: InStock

Estimate $150 - $225

See Sold Price

Starting Price $74

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