Geelvink Bay Korwar-New Guinea Art-Oceanic Art
Here is an old Korwar figure from the Geelvink Bay area along New Guinea’s north coast on the West Papuan side. It is quite large with great volumes holding a painted shield in front of its body. Both the ears and nose are pierced and there is an illegible label along the side of the base.
IMPORTANT LATE INFORMATION: The kind French collector Michel Carqué pointed out the label on this korwar matches exactly of one collected by Jacques Viot from his famous expedition to the north coast of New Guinea in 1929—see label from a private French collection now added to this piece. Jacques Viot was a French writer and art dealer who went to New Guinea in 1929 at the behest of the renowned French modern art dealer Pierre Loeb. The collection Viot formed included some of the most important masterpieces of Lake Sentani figurative sculpture ever found. The present korwar later made its way into the collection of Jack Faxon, the late Michigan state senator and art collector from Detroit. The korwar dates to the late 19th century, stands 14” (35.6 cm) in height. SOLD