Lot 302, Auction 3/19/2026: Papua New Guinea Stone Stele – Ancestral Spirit Figure

$1,430.00

In stock

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, ca. 20th century CE. A tall stone figure rises with a quiet, commanding presence, its carved face emerging from the surface as if listening for the echo of old songs. The material carries gentle shifts of age and handling, its warm mineral tones recalling the earth from which it was shaped. Carved from a single elongated block, the stele presents a stylized visage with a rounded eye, curved cheek markings, and a radiating crest that may reflect ceremonial hairstyles or headdresses common in highlands traditions. Below the face, a sequence of deeply incised swirling and interlocking motifs travels down the length of the stone, their rhythmic curves suggesting movement, vitality, and the patterned visual language found across Papua New Guinea. Size: 6.5″ L x 4″ W x 28.5″ H (16.5 cm x 10.2 cm x 72.4 cm); 29″ H (73.7 cm) on included custom stand.

Figural stones of this type often embody ancestral presence or protective spirits, acting as intermediaries between the physical world and the realm of memory and myth. While specific meanings varied among communities, such carvings typically marked significant places or served as objects of ritual regard, their forms shaped by both cultural identity and spiritual purpose. This example, with its tapering vertical profile and confidently carved motifs, carries the enduring sense of watchfulness characteristic of 20th century stone sculpture in the region. It stands as both artwork and guardian, grounded in the landscape yet alive with the stories etched into its surface.

Condition: Chipping, nicks and , abrasions, as well as rubbing and possible small losses to surface. Liberal remaining detail with scattered earthen deposits.

Provenance: ex-private collection, Fairhaven, Massachusetts, USA, collected from 2010 to 2015

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

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