String figure "timbuwara" ("spear of the door")
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3046877
String figure "timbuwara" ("spear of the door")
Papua New Guinea - Southern Highlands, Pangia area
| Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
|---|---|---|
| Todd Barlin, Sydney, Australia |
H: 33.9 inch; B: 37.4 inch |
sold |
rattan, ochre, clay pigment,
According to Anthony Meyer, there is different information about the use/ function of these abstract objects.
On the one hand, they are supposed to have been attached to the entrance of the men's house as a guardian spirit, but on the other hand, there are indications that they were carried on the head during fertility rites. Thirdly, they are said to represent a man's deceased wife, and were kept in the Men's House where friends and relatives could pay their respects.
Meyer, Anthony J.P., Ozeanische Kunst, Vol. I, Köln 1995, p. 304, ill. 334
