Female Ancestor Figure – Abelam

Category:

$6,800.00

Medium: Wood, Traces of natural earth pigments
Dimensions: 22"
Origin: Abelam, Wosera District, East Sepik, New Guinea
Provenance: Alex Phillips Collection 1999 Australia
Exhibited: Private Museum, Xiamen, China 2011, Exhibited: KCAM & Houston Community College 10/2015

A Superb Abelam figure. An early example of Wosera Art from the East Sepik Province of New Guinea. The female figure carved in the classic manner is very reminiscent of apiece collected by Alfred Buhler at Numbungei, East Sepik Province in 1956 and now in the Museum for Kulturen Basle. A photograph of this piece can be found on page 333 of Oceanic Art by Kaefpler, Kaufmann and Newton. The Wosera figure exhibits a varied age patina very similar in fact to the Basle example. It also retains traces of red ochre. This piece would be of at least the same vintage as the Buhler example and in all probability older.