Description:

**First Time At Auction**

Latin American, Panama, Kuna People, early 20th century CE. A wooden shaman staff with a corkscrew serpent along the shaft and a stylized anthropomorphic figure finial. The figure is a good spirit known as a nuchu, and has characteristic simplistic features with delineated legs and a blocky head. Shamanic staves like this example are used in healing to intimidate and drive away the "bonigana," a spiritual entity that the Kuna believe is a major cause of illness and disease, by acting as an intermediary between the physical and spiritual realms. In Kuna shamanistic tradition, a gigantic serpent encircles the earth, sometimes referred to as the "Snake of Being." Size: 39" L x 1.75" W (99.1 cm x 4.4 cm)

Provenance: private Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA collection

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#177529

  • Condition: Nice patina throughout. Stable pressure fissure and some chips and nicks. Fading to painted pigments on snake and figure. Intact and great condition.

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March 9, 2023 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000