Amulet Figure
East Sepik Province, Lower Sepik River Region, Papua New Guinea
19th-early 20th c.
PROVENANCE: Steyler Mission, Wurttemberg, Germany. Loed and Mia van Bussel, Amsterdam.
PUBLISHED: Bruce Frank Primitive Art. Powerful Magic Miniature Sculptures from the Sepik River Region. New York: 2013, fig. 11.

Personal amulets were utilized for a variety of reasons in the Sepik River region of Papua New Guinea. Lightweight and easily transportable, these amulets were made of wood and often carved in a very distinct pattern. This particular amulet from the East Sepik Province exhibits short legs, which meet at the base, a slender trunk, and free carved arms. The head is large and oval shaped with distinctive facial features, including a wide, arrow-shaped nose, protruding chin, and large eyes. The age of the object is evident from the wear around the bottom half of the figure.

Height: 3.75 in. high.
IN 9-14-13 / SOLD