Papua New Guinea / Iatmul Culture, Middle Sepik River
Early 20th century
Wood, lime and ocher pigments
Height 27.5 in / 69.9 cm
Provenance: Joseph Butler, Tarrytown, New York; Private collection, Sydney, Australia; Chris and Anna Thorpe, Sydney, Australia
This Iatmul suspension hook, or samban, comes from the Middle Sepik River region of Papua New Guinea. Such hooks were suspended from house rafters and used to hold baskets or bilum bags containing food and valuables, keeping them safely above the floor. The carved janiform ancestor figures, raised curvilinear facial forms, shell ornament, and remaining lime and ocher pigments reflect the ceremonial and visual language associated with Sepik River carving traditions. The body tapers into joined legs ending in crescent-form hooks, combining functional structure with ancestral imagery.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Papua New Guinea / Iatmul Culture, Middle Sepik River
Early 20th century
Wood, lime and ocher pigments
Height 27.5 in / 69.9 cm
Provenance: Joseph Butler, Tarrytown, New York; Private collection, Sydney, Australia; Chris and Anna Thorpe, Sydney, Australia
This Iatmul suspension hook, or samban, comes from the Middle Sepik River region of Papua New Guinea. Such hooks were suspended from house rafters and used to hold baskets or bilum bags containing food and valuables, keeping them safely above the floor. The carved janiform ancestor figures, raised curvilinear facial forms, shell ornament, and remaining lime and ocher pigments reflect the ceremonial and visual language associated with Sepik River carving traditions. The body tapers into joined legs ending in crescent-form hooks, combining functional structure with ancestral imagery.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
