20th C. PNG Murik Lakes Wooden Standing Male Figure

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Murik Lakes region, ca. first half of the 20th century CE. A hand-carved wooden statue of a nude man standing atop an integral ovoid plinth. The stylized man features incised zigzags along his legs and arms, a serrated necklace draped atop his chest, and a bullseye motif surrounding the navel. The elongated head bears a curled nose, a petite mouth, and deeply furrowed eyebrows, all beneath a conical headdress with upturned barbs and a trapezoidal finial. This figure is covered in dark-brown pigment and was perhaps meant as a handle for a large spoon or ladle. Size: 2.875" W x 16.25" H (7.3 cm x 41.3 cm)

Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection

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#139071
Condition Report: Losses to some headdress barbs as shown. Minor nicks and abrasions to plinth, body, and head, with softening to some incised details, and fading to areas of original pigment. Nice earthen deposits throughout.