Poteau votif, aire Iatmul, Moyen Sepik , Papouasie Nouvelle-Guinée

collects é par le Capitaine Haug sur le navire Siar, lors de la Hambourg South Seas Expedition
Museum für Völkerkunde, Hamburg (inv. n° 61721, inscrit à l'encre noire sur le buste)
Serge Brignoni, Berne
collects ion Marcia et John Friede, New York

Reproduit dans :
Reche, "Der Kaiserin-Augusta-Fluss" in : Ergebnisse der Südsee Expedition 1908 - 1910, 1913 : pl. XXXVII, n° 3

Wear consistent with age and use within the culture. Erosion at the back and top of the head due to exposure to the elements.
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cf. Newton (1979 : 315) pour deux œuvres comparables, la première dans les collects ions du Linden-Museum de Stuttgart, également collects ée par le Capitaine Haug, la seconde conservée au Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Au minimalisme de la sculpture - jouant exclusivement sur les effets du champlevé et du mouvement légèrement convexe - répond la très belle dimension picturale, mettant en valeur la puissance caractéristique du visage humain dans la statuaire de l'aire Iatmul.
Selon Newton (idem), ces poteaux - très rarement représentés dans les collects ions - étaient fichés dans le sol, encadrant le monticule édifié à proximité de la Maison des hommes pour la culture des arbres totémiques.

A votive post, Iatmul area, Middle Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea

Cf. Newton (1979: 315) for two comparable works, the first, also collects ed by Captain Haug, in the Linden-Museum, Stuttgart, the second in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

In addition to the minimalism of the sculpture, which plays solely upon the effects of the decoration and the slightly convex surface, one finds here a beautiful pictorial quality, emphasizing the powerful characteristics of the human face in Iatmul statuary. According to Newton (ibid.), these posts, which are rarely seen in collects ions, were sunk into the earth, framing the mound which was made near to the men's house for the totemic trees culture.