Magic Charm

Sepik River; Papua New Guinea
19th Century
Previous collection: St. Augustin Mission Museum, Germany

Carved with non-metal tools, this magic charm is a fine and rare representation of the quality of early PNG art. The facial features are partly obscured due to erosion, giving this piece an enigmatic presence. From all angles this figure is attractive, but the profile view especially exhibits the rounded lines of the contour which makes for a very elegant yet compact sculpture. Numbers on the back are the museum inventory numbers reading 79.1.69.

This figure stands 5 inches.
IN 1-11-13 / SOLD