Upper Karawari River Cave Figure-New Guinea Art-Oceanic Art
Here is a large and ancient Upper Karawari River cave yipwon hook figure. This one comes from the collection of Los Angeles artist Tony Berlant. I have known of this piece for over 20 years from when I was still in graduate school and visited Berlant’s studio. Over that time I have tried to acquire it numerous times—and was finally successful two weeks ago. The yipwon has the monumentality one would hope for with a broad spine and a large head delicately protruding from the top of the arc. Berlant acquired the piece from the Edward Merrin Gallery, New York, in the early 1980s. The figure is pre-contact, stone-carved, 19th century or before and stands 76 1/8” (193.4 cm) in height.