Yangoru Boiken Talipun With Figure-New Guinea Art-Oceanic Art
Within the realm of tribal art tradition and the adherence to classic forms is often found a universal principle. This is true for the most part in Oceania, but this strict adherence to a particular convention tends to break down a bit in New Guinea. Amongst the Boiken, the artistic guidelines of one’s grandfather seems only to serve as a launching pad to one’s own artistic sensibilities. The Boiken are fiercely egalitarian, and the artists often have a competitive streak of one-upmanship to them. Talipun come in a seemingly endless variety of styles and forms. There is a whimsical creativity to them that is of a different level altogether. The present talipun is a case in point with an oval-shaped wooden top featuring a relief-carved ancestral spirit figure. Along the wooden section’s outer edge is a band of traditional cane. The figure is painted bright pink, and it floats above a background of vivid blue. The sturdy, minimally worked green turban seashell marks this talipun as a male humbuli. This one was field collected by Michael Kremerskothen and published in both “Art of the Boiken” 2011, no. 99 and most recently in “Oceanic Art Provenance & History” no. 38, pages 170/71. The talipun dates to the early 20th century, stands 19 ¼” 948.8 cm) in height and sells for $7500.