Abelam Male Ancestral Figure-New Guinea Art-Oceanic Art
This is a classic Abelam male ancestral spirit carving, "nggwalndu" or "father’s father’s man." It has a beautiful carved central figure with bent back legs and a small pig at the base. The piece is carved from a dense hardwood, has a pierced nasal septum and there are nice remains of traditional pigments. The piece was deaccessioned from a Connecticut museum in 2012, dates to the 1930s, is 72 7/8" (185.3 cm) in height and sells for $7000.