Sepik Ancestral Figure Mask with Elaborate Carvings

A middle Sepik River ancestral figure mask, Papua New Guinea,…
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A middle Sepik River ancestral figure mask, Papua New Guinea, squatting figure raised on a curvilinear triangle, elbows resting on the thighs, elongated nose reaches the base, imposing headdress, body shaped as another ancestral figure, rattan structure with a few remnant feathers on the backside aperture. The whole sculpture thoroughly incised with geometric motifs and carved with multiple ancestral figures, producing a striking optical effect in the tradition of Sepik arts: complex ancestral representations destabilise and appear to be in constant transformation. Height 100 cm, width 30 cm. Provenance: from the collection of Keith St Cartmail

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  • Incised - A record of a name, date or inscription, or a decoration scratched into a surface, usually of a glass or ceramic item with a blunt instrument to make a coarse indentation. Compare with engraving where the surface is cut with a sharp instrument such as a metal needle or rotating tool to achieve a fine indentation.

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