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Sepik River Overmodeled Skull

Overmodeled Human Skull; Black Clay-like Material, Hair, Nassa Snails. 

SKU: OC-035 Categories:,

Product Description

Sepik River overmodeled human skull  sculpted with a clay-like mass, painted in black, small traces of original painting, coiffure of real hair, Nassa snails. Small missing parts, slight traces of abrasion. When overmodelling the ancestors skull, it was believed, that the spirit and vitality would return and help the living descendants with its power. The skulls were kept on specially assigned shelves in the men’s house, where women and children were not allowed to see them. Just on special occasions, like remembrance ceremonies, would the skulls be adorned and displayed in public. Sepik River, Papua New Guinea. Provenance Alexander Pollmer, Munich, Germany Literature Aumann, Georg, Kunst und Kunsthandwerk aus Neu Guinea, Coburg 1986, p. 12.

Additional information

Circa

1950

Origin

Papua, New Guinea

Dimensions

8.5 in