Carved wood female fertility figure with an elaborately painted face. Figure is wearing a long grass skirt and has a heart-shaped face with protruding ears, a large nose, and open smiling mouth; the eyes are inset cowrie shells. Face is painted white with semi-circles, floral and curvilinear designs, and comma-shapes throughout, done in red; eyes and nostrils are bordered with small white triangles. Ears have two grass ties knotted through each; similar grass tie knotted through figure's nostrils. Carved with large breasts, flat buttocks and pronounced shoulder blades; genitals carved in relief and highlighted with red pigment. Her arms and legs spread straight out from her body; grass ties around wrists and ankles. Each limb has two decorative bands carved into them; bands consist of two ovals bordered by wide bands; done in brown, red, and white. Small hole drilled into back centre of head.

• History Of Use

  Larger versions of these types of figures would be mounted at the entrance of Spirit Houses, and are closely related to origin myths.

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• Type of Item figure
• Culture New Guinea
• Material wood, pigment, plant fibre, cowrie shell
• Measurements height 33.2 cm, width 100.2 cm, depth 13.7 cm (overall)

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• Previous Owner Marnie Tamaki
• Received from Marnie Tamaki

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• Made in Papua New Guinea

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• Creation Date between 1950 and 1994
• Collection Date during 1994
• Ownership Date before November 22, 2023
• Acquisition Date on November 22, 2023

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• Condition good
• Accession Number 3652/0001