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an image of a brown and white plate on a white backgroundan image of a wooden mask on a white backgrounda wooden chair with a rope hanging from it ' s backa piece of wood that has a knot on ita close up of a wooden mask on a white surface
Astrid Guillon Maison de ventes aux enchères

158 - Shield (‘iben’), Upper Sepik, Papua New Guinea. Wooden panel…
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Estimate €250 - €350
Sale commission
Description
Shield (‘iben’), Upper Sepik, Papua New Guinea. Wooden panel (carved from the buttress roots of large trees, known as ‘kofekan’) decorated with champlevé motifs arranged in axial symmetry. Two triangles, with their points facing each other, outlined in yellow pigment, and six dark dots on a white background (natural lime pigment) mark the axis. On either side of this axis, back-to-back, two foetal-shaped figures occupy the space of the shield against a white background. Each is composed of a series of four yellow ovals and a large yellow oval. These figures are painted in a reddish-brown colour. They appear to be cross-sectional representations. The slight fading of the pigmentation and the traces of wood-boring insects attest to the shield’s age. According to specialist literature, the figures are not thought to have any particular significance. This figurative style and the shape of the shield are characteristic of the Upper Sepik cultural area, which came into contact with Westerners relatively late; and more specifically of the Abau-speaking communities along the Green River. Abau people, Green River, Upper Sepik, Papua New Guinea. Without a base. Dimensions: 76.5 x 73 cm (as seen) Estimated date: circa 1960–1970 Provenance: French private collection Selected bibliography: – BERAN, Harry and Barry CRAIG (eds), 2005. *Shields of Melanesia*, Adelaide, Crawford House Publishing Australia; pp. 74–176 – CRAIG, Barry, 1976. The Keram Style in the Abau Area of the Upper Sepik, New Guinea. Baessler-Archiv XXIV: 181–193 (see figs. 5 and 7, p. 186).- online (in English): Shields of the Upper Sepik & Material Culture of the Upper Sepik Barry CRAIG Barry - HABERLAND Eike, 1963. Shields from the Upper Sepik in the Ethnological Museums of Frankfurt am Main and Stuttgart, Tribus 12, pp. 105–121. – A.J.P. MEYER, Oceanic Art, Konneman, vol. 1, pp. 292–299 Corpus for comparison:- Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac (Paris): 72.1997.1.7- Saint Louis Art Museum (Saint Louis, MO, USA): 74:1994- National Gallery of Victoria (Australia): 2011.385 – Bonhams, Oxford, auction of 12 June 2013, lot 375 Expert: Nicolas Corigliano – Cabinet Corail & Mana
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Auction time 07/02/2026 at 5:00 PM
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