Solomon Islands
Circa 1900
Wood, shell inlay, human hair
Height: 23 in (58.4 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Melbourne, Australia
Figurative sculpture from the Solomon Islands encompasses a range of forms associated with ancestral commemoration, ritual protection, and the display of chiefly prestige. Female figures of this type, carved in a naturalistic style with careful attention to facial detail, were among the most fully realized examples of the tradition, their shell inlay eyes giving the face an alert, living quality that distinguished them from more schematic carvings. The Melbourne provenance places this piece within the Australian collecting context that formed in the twentieth century around Pacific material.
The figure stands upright on an integral base, arms held at the sides with hands meeting at the front of the body to hold a small vessel. The eyes are inlaid with shell, the brows marked in white pigment, and the hair — retained intact — adds a further dimension of presence to the face. The wood is densely black throughout, the surface carrying the smooth patina of age and careful handling.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Solomon Islands
Circa 1900
Wood, shell inlay, human hair
Height: 23 in (58.4 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Melbourne, Australia
Figurative sculpture from the Solomon Islands encompasses a range of forms associated with ancestral commemoration, ritual protection, and the display of chiefly prestige. Female figures of this type, carved in a naturalistic style with careful attention to facial detail, were among the most fully realized examples of the tradition, their shell inlay eyes giving the face an alert, living quality that distinguished them from more schematic carvings. The Melbourne provenance places this piece within the Australian collecting context that formed in the twentieth century around Pacific material.
The figure stands upright on an integral base, arms held at the sides with hands meeting at the front of the body to hold a small vessel. The eyes are inlaid with shell, the brows marked in white pigment, and the hair — retained intact — adds a further dimension of presence to the face. The wood is densely black throughout, the surface carrying the smooth patina of age and careful handling.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
