Turama River Replacement Heads-Dick Randolph-New Guinea Art-Oceanic Art
Along with the great George Craig, one of the last remaining old-time field collectors from the Papuan Gulf is Dick Randolph and these two rare wooden replacement heads from the Turama River were part of his cache of last remaining artifacts (I’ve attached a photo of Dick Randolph on the right and his friend Garry Lurhs on the left). The Turama River is well to the west in the Papuan Gulf and an area rarely visited by art collectors. These two heads are quite special with bold, clear designs, flared noses, round eyes and mouths filled with sharp teeth. They are carved from a dense hardwood and date to the early 20th century. The left is 11 ½” (29.2 cm) in height(SOLD) and right is 10” (25.4 cm) in height and sells for $5,000.