Sago Peg

Sunahu Kwanga people, Southern border of Abelam culture
Papua New Guinea, early 20th c.

Like the Abelam, the Sunahu Kwanga eat a lot of sago and use carved pegs to hold the trough in place while washing the sago starch out of the pulp. This peg is Janus with two carved ancestral spirit figures. Notice the well defined ribs, a hallmark of the art of this region. The peg has a great dark aged patina, some obvious old damage around the top sides, surrounding the faces, and a very nice old rattan binding.

Height: 16.75 inches
IN 3-8-13/ SOLD