Old Palembei Iatmul Sepik Shaman Ancestor Polychrome Carving Sacred Mask 12A0C

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Old Palembei Iatmul Sepik Shaman Ancestor Polychrome Carving Sacred Mask 12A0C:
$399.99

You are buying a rare totem mask hand painted on both sides, a unique hand carveddetailed sculpture from the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea representing mystical symbolic protective ancestors and seen on all the pictures, DOUBLE FACE AND BIRD CARVINGS TOWARDS THE NECK. It was collected in the field alongthe Sepik River in PNG, in Palembei village.

Detailed piece: 24 1/2\" tall x 7 1/2\"wide: it is painted delicately on both sides, some of the photos show the hand painted back, decorated as well. The other masks seen here are available as well.

Number 12A0Cin our inventory

Thisfigure was kept in the men’s spirit house (called Haus Tambaran or Gaigo). Itworks as a magical shield together with other figures in the Gaigo, generallyprotecting from bad magic worked against the village by marauding demons(Maselei) or magic generated by enemy sorcerers (Sanguma).

The story from where some of these characters are drawn often refersto secret tales only known by the tribal elders. The figure was hand carved outof wood. All eyes are Nassa shells incrusted into the handcarving. Colors are natural pigments obtained from nature such as white limefrom shells, charcoal etc....

In Palembei village, on the middle Sepik river,Papua New Guinea, outstanding master carvers, whose work appear in ArtExhibitions around the world, created beautiful slim polychrome statuesinspired by their spiritual beliefs and traditional tales. While firmly basedin tradition, these contemporary works abound with both innovation andindividual expression. Among the finest traditional art forms of the Sepikregion are the fine varied sculptures kept in the men\'s ceremonial house.

Such figures are imbibed with the magic to protectthe village from bad magic worked against it by enemy sorcerers (Samguma).

All our Tribal Sepik river carvings, from Papua New Guinea, werecollected on the premises.

Carvings are always well made, in spite of the relatively crude implementsincluding stone adzes and drills and the shark skin rasps and polishes whichare used to produce works of carved delicate grace.

We are closing our doors so everything has been reduced!

All our collector and rare items come with pages andpages of research about provenance, and with history of the tribes and photosas well, depending on item and whenever possible. When shippinginternationally, we group ship multiple purchases to save you money, and findthe best rates which often fails to calculate right. If you have any questionsor want to see research conducted on this piece and photos of tribes, email orcall us.

We have artifacts and architectural accents up to 10 ft tall that we willput on upon request because shipping has to be calculated.