Ancestor figure - Lot 33

Ancestor figure Lower Sepik Papua New Guinea Carved wood, pigments H. 44 cm This spirited, powerfully expressive sculpture comes from the Lower Sepik region, probably from the Biwat groups (formerly known as Mundugumor) in the Yuat area. Her face, with its hollowed features, is highlighted with light pigments. Karl Laumann, a Catholic priest from the Kanduanum mission on the banks of the Sepik River in the 1930s-1950s, is one of the most respected scholars of human groups in the lower Yuat River area. According to his writings, the anthropomorphic figures of the region represented river or bush spirits. Their ritual activation ensured the success of hunting and war expeditions.