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• Auction House:
  Theodore Bruce
• Sale Name:
  Timed Online Auction | The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic African & Asian Art
• Sale Date:
  05 Dec 2022 ~ 6pm (AEDT)
• Lot #:
  9060
• Lot Description:
  Kwoma Ritual Pottery Head Called Wasau, Waskuk Area, Upper Sepik River
  this beautiful Waskuk ceremonial pottery is called Wasau and was used during yam harvest Ceremonies on the ceremonial platforms.
  20 x 23 cm
• Provenance:
  The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic Art
• Notes:
  These pottery heads relate to a specific myth about an ancestor called Sopermel who carried a Wasau in his belly. The ceremony takes place inside the men's Ceremonial house (korob) A platform is built, and while one major Yina figure is displayed as a focus, other Yina's and Wasau pottery heads are used. The pottery heads are particularly beautiful when displayed on the ceremonial platform. In the book 'The Traditional Pottery of Papua New Guinea by May & Tuckson 1982 page 218' These stories were recorded at a time when there were still many ceremonial senior leaders alive and the stories where still clear. 'Sopermel carried a put Wasau in his belly. When he died, he was laid out by his relations on a scaffold in a tree deep in the forest. The body decayed and the belly opened up and the pot fell out onto the ground where it lay undamaged. Sopermel's mother found the pot and together with Kwasei, Sopermel's son, they took it home and showed it to all of the people. The people agreed that the pot should be kept in a special house so that the descendants could tell the story.'
• Estimate:
  A$300 - 400
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Tribal

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.