KORWAR FIGURE
NOEMFOR ISLAND, PAPUA, INDONESIA
£1,000
African & Oceanic Art, Antiquities and Natural History
Auction: 24 November 2021 at 10:00 GMT
Description
carved wood, the squatting figure shown with large bulbous head, holding a shield-like openwork plaque, the inscription on the base reads: "NOEMFOR ISLAND ... Lt. J.D. SMITH ... USS LEON (APA - 48) ... DEC 1944"
Dimensions
20.5cm tall
Footnote
Provenance:
Collected in situ by J.D. Smith of the USS Leon, December 1944
'The term korwar means "soul of the dead." Korwar figures were activated by calling upon the soul or spirit of the deceased to enter the figure. They were used to ensure success in hunting and fishing, to give protection in maritime travel and warfare, and to cure sick people. On the other hand, they were also used in sorcery practices to cause illness and death." (Friede, John, New Guinea Art - Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, 2015, p. 178)