wunderschöne Ahnengeistfigur 1991 Mindimbit-Dorf am Sepik - Mindimbit - Papua Neuguinea (Ohne mindestpreis)

Ancestor Spirit Figure
Mindimbit Village, Middle Sepik River Region, Papua New Guinea
Field collected in 1991
A powerful ancestor spirit figure from Mindimbit village in the Middle Sepik region, one of Papua New Guinea’s most celebrated centers of ceremonial wood carving. Sculpted from a single piece of hardwood, the figure embodies the distinctive sculptural language for which the Sepik peoples are renowned: elongated proportions, a commanding frontal presence, and expressive facial features that evoke the spiritual authority of ancestral beings.
Figures of this type were traditionally associated with clan identity and the veneration of founding ancestors. They were kept within the men’s ceremonial house (haus tambaran), where they served as tangible manifestations of powerful ancestral spirits believed to protect the community, ensure fertility, and preserve the continuity of customary knowledge. Rather than functioning as portraits of specific individuals, such carvings represent spiritual entities whose presence linked the living with the ancestral realm.
The carving displays a rich, weathered surface with an excellent, naturally developed patina acquired through ritual use, handling, and age. The restrained yet highly expressive treatment of the face, together with the carefully balanced proportions, reflects the aesthetic sophistication for which the Middle Sepik carving tradition is internationally admired.
Collected in the field in 1991, the sculpture originates from a period when many traditional ceremonial objects were still being obtained directly from village communities, prior to the rapid expansion of the international tribal art market. Its documented field provenance significantly enhances both its authenticity and its historical importance.
An impressive and evocative example of Middle Sepik ancestral sculpture, combining strong sculptural presence, cultural significance, and desirable early field provenance. A distinguished addition to any serious collection of Oceanic art.
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ADRIAAN VAN DIS

besprak mijn beide boeken, dus ook het recente ‘Ik droomde dat je kwam’ en het eerste boek: Papua Blues

Een prachtig en meeslepend boek vol verhalen over Papua, met een bijzondere mix van avontuur, cultuur en persoonlijke ontmoetingen. De auteur neemt je mee van Raja Ampat tot de Asmat, van Yapen tot de Vogelkop, in een warme en levendige vertelstijl. Inclusief fotokatern van Roy Villevoye.
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