**Originally Listed At $300**

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, ca. mid-20th century CE. A lovely and large carved wooden ancestor head which rests on an integral, heart-shaped base. A diamond-shaped neck projects upwards from the base and supports an enormous face comprised of large ovoid eyes in high relief, an aquiline nose, planar cheeks with nubbin-shaped decorations, and dramatically arching brow lines. An integral openwork bridge is draped in front and down the middle of the face, its exterior carved with repeating circular and curvilinear motifs, with smaller heads detailing the upper and lower termini. Covered in a lustrous brown patina, this is a fabulous ancestral carving from Papua New Guinea! Size: 9" W x 29" H (22.9 cm x 73.7 cm).

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-collection of Will Barnet, (b. 1911); Barnet was an American artist known for his paintings, watercolors, drawings, and prints. A longtime resident of the National Arts Club, Barnet died in New York City on November 13, 2012, at the age of 101.

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.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#133072

Age-commensurate surface wear, small nicks and losses to base and face, with several stable hairline fissures, otherwise very good. Light earthen deposits within recessed areas and great brown patina throughout.