Description:

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Sepik River region, ca. early 20th century CE. A tall, hand-carved wooden drum in the form of a standing anthropomorphic figure with a crested zoomorphic - probably avian - headdress. This is a slit drum, a form known as a garamut, the most important instrument in the Sepik River area, engraved, painted, and then kept in the men's ritual house for use in male initiations. The figure on the piece represents an ancestor, and he or she is painted with organic pigments, of which a chalky white remains. Aside from the figure and headdress, the rest of the drum is also elaborately incised and carved into abstract, swirling elements suggestive of natural forms. One end has a handle in the form of a zoomorphic head with inlaid cowrie shell eyes (one of which remains). A crocodile-shaped drum stick, also incised and painted with white, is included. Size of drum: 22.75" W x 8.9" H (57.8 cm x 22.6 cm)

Provenance: private southern California, USA collection, acquired in the 1970s to mid-1980s

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#142391

  • Condition: Repaired on one side of the handle. One of the cowrie shell eyes is lost. Surface cracks commensurate with age. Rich deposits and patina on surface, with nice remaining pigment.

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January 24, 2019 7:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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