Bidspirit auction | Oceanic Carved Wood Figurative Sculpture

Oceanic Carved Wood Figurative Sculpture in the Sepik River Style - This 20th-century hand-carved wooden sculpture features a tiered figurative composition. The primary figure is depicted in a seated or crouching position, holding a smaller, similarly styled figure between its hands. The base of the sculpture consists of a large, upward-facing head. All figures exhibit stylized facial features, including broad noses and horizontal decorative carving. The sculpture is adorned with coarse, dark plant-based fiber applied as hair to the heads and as bindings around the wrists and ankles. The object is monoxylous, carved from a single block of wood, and finished with a dark matte stain or pigment. Confident tool marks are visible throughout the carving. The aesthetic is consistent with the Sepik River region of Papua New Guinea and shares visual characteristics with the broader Polynesian Tiki tradition. Height: 13.5 inches Width: 6 inches The sculpture is in very good overall condition. Natural checking and stress cracks are visible in the wood, notably on the posterior of the upper figure and the base. The dark surface finish shows a developed matte patina with light dust accumulation in recessed areas. Fiber elements are intact but exhibit some fraying and minor losses consistent with age.