Carver's Knife Handle
Lake Sentani, North West New Guinea, 19th Century
Previous Collections: John and Marcia Friede, Rye, NY
Emile Bouchard, Paris
Published in " Art of North West New Guinea " by Grueb pg 92, fig 52 Collected by Jacques Viot 1929

Old Lake Sentani material is very scarce; this knife handle has exceptional pedigree in addition to fantastic sculptural elements. The head is beautiful with grace and expression; the tightly carved body shows armlets and unlike other figurative handles this example has fully carved feet that are pointed inward. The wood has acquired a beautiful warm hue through hand oils and oxidation creating a patina that is rich and deep from decades of usage. The quality, condition and provenance of this object is second to none.

This handle stands 11.5 inches tall.
IN 11-11-12/ SOLD