PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial
PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial
PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial
PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial
PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial
PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial
PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial
PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial
PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial
PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial
PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial
PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial
PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial
PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial
PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial
PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial

PNG Bosmun Wood Figural Paddle Finial

17671

$1,495
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Madang Province, Papua New Guinea, 20th Century AD

This finely carved hardwood finial once crowned a canoe paddle from the Lower Ramu River region of Madang Province, an area of extraordinary linguistic and cultural diversity along the northern coast of mainland Papua New Guinea. The sculpture renders an ancestor figure in a style closely tied to the spirit and ancestor imagery that dominates Lower Sepik and Ramu art, where such carvings were believed to bring protection and good fortune to the paddler and his canoe. 

The figure stands with hands at sides and a powerfully modeled face distinguished by a long, projecting nose—an attribute associated in this region with spirit masks rather than ordinary ancestors, suggesting the work depicts an ancestor wearing a spirit mask. The tall, conical ringed head represents an early 20th-century men's hairstyle, in which the hair was drawn up through a decorated cap, while the incised chevron and band motifs across the shoulders, chest, and lower shaft evoke initiation and body markings. The rich, glossy honey-brown patina and smooth handling wear attest to genuine age and indigenous use. 

Size: 10-3/4 inches (27.3 cm) high, plus custom base  Condition: Very good, with stable surface wear, minor age cracks, and a fine deep patina consistent with age and use.

Provenance: Collection of Jerry Zimler (1954–1989), a clinical psychologist of New York, NY, whose practice focused primarily on work with disturbed children.


Every object is guaranteed authentic and as described, and has been legally acquired and imported in accordance with U.S. and applicable foreign regulations on the movement and sale of antiquities. A signed certificate of authenticity with a description and photograph accompanies this object. Any restoration is described on the invoice.

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