Description:

Tami Islands, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. Ca. 1930. Large carved heavy hardwood splash board known as a "damundam"carved with a large relief sea crocodile in the center with a crab in its mouth, linear patterns engraved on body. The top edge of the board features stylized grasshoppers and stacked motifs often seen engraved on feast bowls. Remnants of white pigment. Dale wrote, "Your example was Peter Hallinan's favorite and was in his personal collection when I visited him in Australia. Its iconography is more complex and artistic than other known examples. It is the only example that I know of with the sea crocodile/crab motif represented. Most are quite plain and crude by comparison." Size: 54-1/2"H. (138.4cm).

Provenance: Acquired at Taylor A. Dale Gallery, Santa Fe, ex. Peter Hallinan collection, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. TAD Gallery invoice dated Oct. 1996 available.

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#70396

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Artemis Fine Arts

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