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Ausema
Yuat River Spirit Figure with Bird Totem – Papua New Guinea, ca. 1900-1915
Yuat River Spirit Figure with Bird Totem – Papua New Guinea, ca. 1900-1915
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€750,00 EUR
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€750,00 EUR
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Pre-Contact Spirit Figure with Bird Totem - Yuat River Region, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea - ca. 1900-1915
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Catalogue Description:
An exceptional and rare ancestral or spirit figure from the Yuat River region in the East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea, carved in hardwood and surmounted by a stylized bird totem—a motif symbolizing spiritual ascent, ancestral vision, and the connection between the earthly and the invisible realms.
The human figure stands upright, hands resting gently on the torso, with a broad, rounded face featuring deeply carved eyes, a pronounced brow, and full lips—hallmarks of the Yuat stylistic tradition. The presence of the bird, gracefully perched atop the head, reflects local cosmologies in which birds serve as messengers of the ancestors and guardians of sacred knowledge.
This work bears all the characteristics of pre-contact or early-contact ritual sculpture, with a dense, dry patina, softened contours from handling, and deep age cracks consistent with long-term environmental exposure. The figure was likely housed in a clan shrine (haus tambaran) and used in rites of protection, lineage invocation, or initiation.
Likely field-collected between 1900 and 1915, this sculpture predates mass production for the art market and exhibits no signs of commercial influence. It may have originated from an early ethnographic collection or missionary acquisition, as evidenced by its ritual integrity and stylistic purity.
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Dimensions: Approx. 43 cm in height
Material: Tropical hardwood
Condition: Excellent for its age; stable with age-related wear, on top a little damage in the mouth of the bird, natural fissures and ritual patina
Provenance: Acquired at auction from a European research collection, originally catalogued without tourist adaptation
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A statement piece—museum-quality and spiritually charged, echoing the voice of a forgotten lineage.
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Hashtags:
#PapuaNewGuineaArt
#OceanicArt
#AncestralFigure
#EthnographicArtifact
#SepikRiverArt
#TribalAntique
#ResearchCollection
#TribalSculpture
#PrimitiveSculpture
#AuthenticTribalArt
#AntiqueTribalFigure
#FieldCollectedArt
#MuseumQualityArt
#OceanicTribalStatue
#Early20thCenturyArt
#PapuaNewGuineaCulture
#AbelamStyle
#KaprimanArt
#TribalFertilityFigure
#RareOceanicArt
#OriginalTribalPiece
#VintageEthnographicArt
#SepikCulture
#PapuaAntique
#WoodenAncestorFigure
#RitualSculpture
#TribalDecor
#CollectorsTribalArt
#MuseumArtifact
#TraditionalOceanicArt
---
Catalogue Description:
An exceptional and rare ancestral or spirit figure from the Yuat River region in the East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea, carved in hardwood and surmounted by a stylized bird totem—a motif symbolizing spiritual ascent, ancestral vision, and the connection between the earthly and the invisible realms.
The human figure stands upright, hands resting gently on the torso, with a broad, rounded face featuring deeply carved eyes, a pronounced brow, and full lips—hallmarks of the Yuat stylistic tradition. The presence of the bird, gracefully perched atop the head, reflects local cosmologies in which birds serve as messengers of the ancestors and guardians of sacred knowledge.
This work bears all the characteristics of pre-contact or early-contact ritual sculpture, with a dense, dry patina, softened contours from handling, and deep age cracks consistent with long-term environmental exposure. The figure was likely housed in a clan shrine (haus tambaran) and used in rites of protection, lineage invocation, or initiation.
Likely field-collected between 1900 and 1915, this sculpture predates mass production for the art market and exhibits no signs of commercial influence. It may have originated from an early ethnographic collection or missionary acquisition, as evidenced by its ritual integrity and stylistic purity.
---
Dimensions: Approx. 43 cm in height
Material: Tropical hardwood
Condition: Excellent for its age; stable with age-related wear, on top a little damage in the mouth of the bird, natural fissures and ritual patina
Provenance: Acquired at auction from a European research collection, originally catalogued without tourist adaptation
---
A statement piece—museum-quality and spiritually charged, echoing the voice of a forgotten lineage.
---
Hashtags:
#PapuaNewGuineaArt
#OceanicArt
#AncestralFigure
#EthnographicArtifact
#SepikRiverArt
#TribalAntique
#ResearchCollection
#TribalSculpture
#PrimitiveSculpture
#AuthenticTribalArt
#AntiqueTribalFigure
#FieldCollectedArt
#MuseumQualityArt
#OceanicTribalStatue
#Early20thCenturyArt
#PapuaNewGuineaCulture
#AbelamStyle
#KaprimanArt
#TribalFertilityFigure
#RareOceanicArt
#OriginalTribalPiece
#VintageEthnographicArt
#SepikCulture
#PapuaAntique
#WoodenAncestorFigure
#RitualSculpture
#TribalDecor
#CollectorsTribalArt
#MuseumArtifact
#TraditionalOceanicArt
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