Pre-contact Boiken Mask-Ex Lynda Cunningham-New Guinea Art-Oceanic Art
What I love most about pre-contact Boiken artifacts is the raw archaic power to them. They are the polar opposite to decadence and refinement. It is all about bringing to life that animating spirit in the most immediate and vital way. This classic long nose mask has that early bulbous forehead, raised oval eyes and a broad beak nose that is basic but brutally honest and true. The surface is thick and encrusted. And by God look at the reverse. It would be impossible to find a more ancient, perfect stone-carved display than the backside of this mask. The piece is ex. Lynda Cunningham, collected in the 1960s, is 19” (48.2 cm) in height, dates to the 19th century. SOLD