Wyobrażenie ducha przodka. Latmul. Papua Nowa Gwinea. XX w.

An expressive, vivid representation of an ancestor's face. Although very minimalist, with few decorative details, the sculpture fulfills the canon of tribal art of the Latmul people inhabiting the middle reaches of the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea. I do not believe it is a mask. It was never used during ceremonies, whether dance or initiation. Probably several such masks formed the head of a column supporting the roof of the Men's House. The Men's House was a sacred place for the tribe, to which women were not allowed on a daily basis. Important artifacts were collected here, and communal ceremonies were held in it.

Similar carvings were also used to decorate the bow of a boat. The spirits of ancestors embodied in the carving were supposed to ensure the success of fishing or war expeditions to capture the enemy's head. The enemy was not sought too far away. Sometimes a neighboring village was enough.

I think the sculpture is old. It may date from the first half of the 20th century. It was once painted with white lime paint and red ochre. Remnants of paint have been preserved in the recesses of the hair and sideburns. The sculpture is relatively large. It is 63 cm high and 21 cm wide. Its depth is 8 cm.