RITUAL DANCE FIGURE, wahgi Valley, New Guinea Highlands

Chris Boylan Oceanic Art

 RITUAL DANCE FIGURE, Wahgi Valley, papua New Guinea Highlands

These tall slim figure mounted on a stick, and carried in initiation/pig killing ceremonies is known as bolimboku. This figure is similar to figures collected by Stan Moriaty in the 1960s, and now in the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney collection; also there are two similar from the famous "seized collection" in the National Museum of Papua New Guinea.

The figures are painted and wonderfully decoated, exactly like a Highland warrior dressed for ceremony, using feathers, shells, bone etc. At the completion of the ceremony the valuables are stripped off the figure to be carefully stored. Then, like many Highland ritual objects, the figure would have been discarded.

$4,800.00

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