Mimika (Kamaro) artist (Timika Village, Irian Jaya/West Papua)
Collected by the Paulian Missionary Society. Reference: “Kooijman: Art, Object, and Ritual in Mimika Art”, Leiden Museum.
“Much of the art of the Kamoro people of southwest New Guinea centers on ceremonies and wood carvings that honor the spirits of individuals who have recently died. The present work is likely a Kamoro ancestor board (yamate). Portraying recently deceased ancestors, yamate were primarily created during the emakame, a complex ritual honoring the dead and celebrating the renewal of life. A pivotal event in the emakame was the revealing of a group of yamate, each of which represented a specific deceased person, whose name it bore.” —- Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
Ex MB Abram Gallery, Los Angeles
73.5″ high x 6″ wide x 1″ deep on a 6″ x 6″ metal base
$2,000
