Lot O7 - Sepik Ancestral Suspension Figure

Ancestral Suspension Figure

Torembi Village, Middle Sepik River, Papua New Guinea
Mid-20th century
Height: 77 cm

Carved wooden ancestral figure from Torembi village in the Middle Sepik region. The elongated head is densely decorated with incised scarification motifs highlighted with light pigment against a dark ground. The torso displays stylized rib markings, and perforations at the nose and ears retain remnants of fiber attachments.

The crescent-shaped base is carved with spirit imagery, and the figure was designed to be suspended in a ceremonial men’s house. Works of this type are associated with ancestor veneration and clan identity within the Sepik River cultural tradition.

Good condition with age-related wear and pigment loss consistent with period use.