LARGE RITUAL WOVEN OBJECTS, PNG

Chris Boylan Oceanic Art

Two Large Ritual Woven Objects, Papua New Guinea

a)        268 x 11cm     $ 2,000

 b)       206 x 17cm      $ 2,000

Both ritual objects are woven from bark fibre that has been tightly twisted into a fine string and are both important rital items, brought out only for imporatnt ceremonialevents, then hidden away.. Both are used ceremonially, each in their own cultural context. (a) collected by Chris Boylan in 1973 in Waiwaos village, Upper Sepik River, and held in his private collection since. (b) ex-private collection Helen Dennett, acquired at an obscure auction house in Sydney in 1980s with, unfortunately, no accompanying information.

A)       Woven Ritual Veil, Kwoma people, Washkuk Hills, Upper Sepik River, PNG.

This woven veil was produced for the nogwi fertility ceremony of the Kwoma. It adorned the carved female nogwi figure during ritual presentation, suspended from the head and falling down the back. There may be only one or many such veils used on the same figure. The woven surface is ornamented with cowrie and nassa shells, terminating in larger egg cowries. Ceremonies were restricted to senior initiated men, after which the figure and its regalia were ritually stored. Beyond ceremonial use, such works constituted recognised forms of wealth and could enter into significant exchange transactions, including bridewealth

A)       Woven Ritual Body Ornament, Kwanga, East Sepik, PNG

An exceptionally rare woven body ornament attributed to the Kwanga, a small community on the western margin of the Abelam cultural area. The long, narrow band is executed in a bilum-like technique with restrained blue-grey geometric patterning. A looped end and tapered fibre at the other end suggest it was wrapped around the torso and secured in place. A continuous undulating double row of cowrie shells extends along the length, punctuated by circular groupings of nassa shells. This sinuous design is very snake-like, but may possibly also relate to the Sepik River and the original Giant Creator Serpent; the circles of nassa shells may represent whirlpools, where spirits dwell. While its precise ceremonial application is not documented, its construction, materials, and rarity indicate ritual use. As with other shell-embellished regalia of the region, the work would also have functioned within established systems of ceremonial wealth and exchange.

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