Shield (“iben”), Upper Sepik, Papua New Guinea. Wooden panel - Lot 158

Lot n° 158
Go to lot
Estimation :
250 - 350 EUR
Shield (“iben”), Upper Sepik, Papua New Guinea. Wooden panel - Lot 158
Shield (“iben”), Upper Sepik, Papua New Guinea. Wooden panel (carved from the buttress roots of large trees, called “kofekan”) decorated with champlevé motifs arranged in axial symmetry. Two triangles, with their points facing each other, outlined in yellow pigment, and six dark dots on a white background (natural lime pigment) mark the axis. On either side of this axis, back-to-back, two fetus-shaped figures occupy the space of the shield against a white background. Each is composed of a series of four yellow ovals and one large yellow oval. These figures are painted in a reddish-brown hue. They appear to be cross-sectional representations. The slight fading of the pigmentation and traces of wood-boring insects attest to the shield’s age. According to specialized literature, the figures are not believed to have any particular meaning. This figurative style and the shape of the shield are characteristic of the Upper Sepik cultural area, which came into contact with Westerners relatively late; and more specifically of the Abau-speaking populations of the Green River. Abau people, Green River, Upper Sepik, Papua New Guinea. Without a base. Dimensions: 76.5 x 73 cm (as seen) Estimated date: circa 1960–1970 Provenance: French private collection Selected bibliography: - BERAN, Harry, and Barry CRAIG (eds.), 2005. *Shields of Melanesia*, Adelaide, Crawford House Publishing Australia; pp. 74–176 - CRAIG, Barry, 1976. The Keram Style in the Abau Area of the Upper Sepik, New Guinea. Baessler-Archiv XXIV: 181–193 (see figs. 5 and 7, p. 186).- online (in English): Shields of the Upper Sepik & Material Culture of the Upper Sepik by Barry CRAIG Barry - HABERLAND, Eike, 1963. Shields from the Upper Sepik in the Ethnological Museums of Frankfurt am Main and Stuttgart, Tribus 12, pp. 105–121.—A.J.P. MEYER, Oceanic Art, Konneman, vol. 1, pp. 292–299 Corpus for comparison: - Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac (Paris): 72.1997.1.7 - Saint Louis Art Museum (Saint Louis, MO, USA): 74:1994 - National Gallery of Victoria (Australia): 2011.385 – Bonhams, Oxford, auction of June 12, 2013, lot 375 Expert: Nicolas Corigliano – Cabinet Corail & Mana
My orders
Sale information
Sales conditions
Return to catalogue