Lot 15B
Oceania, Melanesia, West Papua New Guinea, Geelvink Bay, possibly Biak Island, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. A finely carved wooden korwar amulet from Geelvink Bay, Papua New Guinea, wrapped in a weathered strip of red cloth and mounted on a slender staff-like handle. The upper section features a stylized anthropomorphic figure, its elongated head, angular facial planes, and pierced openwork body displaying the region's distinctive carving style. Korwar figures serve as conduits between the living and the spirits of the dead. While not embodying the ancestor directly, they represent him in full symbolic form, acting as oracles when consulted with carefully phrased questions requiring simple affirmative or negative answers. Such amulets are deeply rooted in the belief that ancestors possess both the power and the willingness to protect their descendants. Size: 1.8" W x 13.3" H (4.6 cm x 33.8 cm); 13.7" H (34.8 cm) on included custom stand.
This portable staff amulet reflects an important cosmological principle. The vertical shaft represents the axis mundi - the central pole connecting heaven and earth - placing the wearer symbolically at the center of their world under the guardianship of benevolent ancestral forces. Worn or carried, it was both a spiritual safeguard and a statement of connection to lineage, tradition, and cosmic order.
Exhibited: May 13, 2022 to July 9, 2022. "< NO_RECORDS >" at the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts as part of the 2022 Hands-On Curatorial Program.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, purchased in April 2004; ex-Taylor Dale Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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#196452
- Condition: Some stable fissures to wood with light surface wear and some fraying to fabric, but, otherwise, intact and excellent with good detail. Light patina in areas.
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