KWOMA BARK PAINTING
PAPUA NEW GUINEA, MID 20TH CENTURY
£375
African & Oceanic Art and Antiquities
Auction: 1 May 2019 from 12:00 BST
Description
sago palm spathe and pigment, of rectangular shape, decorated with a series of ancestoral faces painted in black, yellow and white pigment
Dimensions
116cm tall
Footnote
Provenance:
Private collection, London
Note:
In areas of New Guinea decorative panels such as the present example were traditionally fitted onto the ceiling of the men’s ceremonial house. These buildings tended to be the largest structures in any given settlement and acted as the foci for religious ceremonies, group discussion and decision making. As such, they also were the primary centre for the creation and display of painting and sculpture.