Help with Old African ? Mythical Animal Figure Carving

I am helping a friend with this one. She got it from a guy who bought it from a collector of similar things to this. I believe it came with books on African folk art. I got the impression that both of the previous owners are deceased now. To me it has a look of being quite old, the materials show the right kind of aging that you want to see. It seems to be a combination of different animals. I don't know if it is African or not, that was the story that came with it. Hoping somebody has a clue on this one and where it is from.

 

looks like Papua New Guinea to me !

maybe Sepik River .....

it's older.....but has the look of a 70's tourist carving ...imo.

 

Yes, I see the similarities. Thanks!

 

it's got too many elements to say what it is..
the front part man part bird...the back , part crocodile...

if it were a serious piece the rope would be lighter and not in such good shape, it would be more simple and focused, the feathers and paint would not be so obviously distressed .....
and I can't say what's going on with those horns...

 

maybe even 1980's........

the more I look at it the newer it gets....

 

maybe it has a relation to an Iatmul ancestor figure.....

 

upon further reflection , it might be closer to a Lower Sepik Ramu River carving...

Sorry, but my PNG ...... is rusty!!

 

Nice piece-not sure about artistic gravitas/age/value,but it beats the heck out of most of the 'airport art' i see online.

 

I agree with a New Guinea origin, but nothing I have seen before. The carver threw everything into it.

 

Just having an idea of what part of the world it is most likely from is a win in my book. I will let my friend know so that she can use the info for a starting part of some further research. Thanks again, these types of things are definitely not in my wheelhouse.

 

Looks like a New Guinea-Africa crossover carving.

Maybe it was made in Bali or Lombok, like that huge "Tribal African" carving that was posted here a couple of years ago, of which there are many on ebay etc.