Schouten Island Ancestral Spirit Figure-New Guinea Oceanic Art
I’ve spent a lot of time on the Schouten Islands that lie off of New Guinea’s north coast west of the mouth of the Sepik River. Their figurative style is fairly distinct from other Sepik Coastal sculpture. The large head sits low on the chest and the eyes are deep, angled down toward the nose in a somewhat sinister fashion. The nose is long and curved down connecting to the torso. This one has nicely composed arms and legs with full volumes. There is a pierced nose and remains of once pierced ears. The patina is dry and encrusted. The figure comes from a Phoenix Arizona collection and is the first time on the market in nearly 50 years. It is 6 3/8” (16.2 cm) in height.