Posted 5 years ago
Crmcnew
(1 item)
Hand carved wooden sculpture person. About 1 foot in height and very light. The wood looks petrified but I could be wrong
Hand carved wooden statue/sculpture? Any idea what when or where? | ||
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Please help!
It's an "ancestral figure" from the Lower Sepik River region of Papua New Guinea, in the South Pacific. Possibly from Wangan Village. They represent anthropomorphic bird man ancestors, and are made in all sizes, from near life size down to small amulets.
The wood would not be petrified, just a tropical wood. (Petrified wood would be heavy, not light, and isn't a material used in this area.) Sepik River carvers are known for their wood carvings, which since the 1960s, are primarily made for sale, even if based on traditional forms. Impossible to tell true age from a photo.