Kwanga-Abelam culture, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
Circa 1890
Cassowary bone
Height: 14.5 in (37 cm)
Provenance: Serge Schoffel, Brussels
Cassowary bone daggers from the Abelam and Kwanga-Abelam peoples of the East Sepik are among the most technically demanding objects produced in the region, the hard, dense bone worked and incised with sustained precision across the full length of the blade. Objects of this type carried both practical and ceremonial significance, their elaboration reflecting the standing of their owner within a society where decorated objects encoded social and spiritual information. Serge Schoffel was among the most knowledgeable dealers in Papua New Guinea and Oceanic material working in Europe during the late twentieth century, and pieces from his inventory carry a provenance of considered selection.
The upper terminal is carved with an ancestral figure portrayed wearing a woven notu yam headdress, a detail that ties the object directly to the ceremonial life of the Abelam, for whom yam cultivation and its associated rituals were central to social and spiritual identity. Incised geometric and figurative designs cover the full length of the shaft below, the patterning dense and consistent throughout. The bone has aged to a warm amber tone, the surface carrying the patina of age and handling.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Kwanga-Abelam culture, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
Circa 1890
Cassowary bone
Height: 14.5 in (37 cm)
Provenance: Serge Schoffel, Brussels
Cassowary bone daggers from the Abelam and Kwanga-Abelam peoples of the East Sepik are among the most technically demanding objects produced in the region, the hard, dense bone worked and incised with sustained precision across the full length of the blade. Objects of this type carried both practical and ceremonial significance, their elaboration reflecting the standing of their owner within a society where decorated objects encoded social and spiritual information. Serge Schoffel was among the most knowledgeable dealers in Papua New Guinea and Oceanic material working in Europe during the late twentieth century, and pieces from his inventory carry a provenance of considered selection.
The upper terminal is carved with an ancestral figure portrayed wearing a woven notu yam headdress, a detail that ties the object directly to the ceremonial life of the Abelam, for whom yam cultivation and its associated rituals were central to social and spiritual identity. Incised geometric and figurative designs cover the full length of the shaft below, the patterning dense and consistent throughout. The bone has aged to a warm amber tone, the surface carrying the patina of age and handling.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
