Have no clue on this. No writing, painted wood obviously. Probably a tourist piece and not very old, but does anyone know what it is and from where?
Not a genius on local Australia aboriginal items but that looks more like it has a Pacific islander/African vibe to me. As usual could be wrong. Best to wait for the "sperts". Cheers Stephen
Thanks, cause I had no idea what PNG was! Is it a bird of some kind? What would it have been used for in the day, just decorative?
Very nice. Yes it is PNG, Blackwater River style. The Blackwater River is just south of the more famous Sepik River. This more modern style developed ca 1970.
There are definitely some shapes that look distinctly NW Coast Native. The similarities between NW Coast and some cultures near PNG are coincidental, but are striking enough that there have been several joint exhibitions, many featuring Maori and NW Coast artists, sharing styles and ideas, and a number of major artists in both cultures have produced works that combine features from both areas. For example, here's a Raven sculpture by Maori Rex Homan. There are no ravens in New Zealand......
I always found there is a resemblance between Maori culture and NW Coast culture. Not just in the arts, which are the visual expression of a culture. It is very different for inland Papuan culture. Jeff's piece is a pretty recent development, older Blackwater River artifacts are different.
I would also suggest Papua New Guinea. I just sent my collection of 30 pieces to auction. The colours are representative of PNG generally and I would also suggest the Sepik River region. It looks like a combination of objects. The head would normally represent an ancestral figure, hung in the home it was designed to ward off evil spirits and to give returning ancestral spirits a safe place to dwell. The base looks like it is meant to be held, so it suggests a club of some sort. I am assuming the head is not too thick which would allow it to split things (heads?). It also reminds me of a "cult" figure which were used before battle or war so I suppose the club concept could apply here. I am sorry it is most likely a tourist piece without much age.
Ravens in NZ went extinct in the 16th century. Rooks were introduced in 1800's to deal with farm pests, but in turn also became pests themselves and are under an eradication campaign at the moment. Crows didn't make it to NZ, but magpies and currawongs did. This looks a bit like a Black Currawong to me, which usually had a white tail.
Possibly looks like a currawong; however, the artist, a Maori who has worked with Northwest Coast artists, and studies the art and traditions of the Northwest Coast First Nations people, has named the sculpture "Raven," in reference to the NW Coast stories about Raven, and in an intentional reference to a bird which no longer exists in NZ.
Thanks. It's a tragedy native animals disappear and introduced ones thrive. Thanks for the clarification. It is a lovely carving btw.
