Large ship's figurehead, West Papua (New Guinea). - Lot 335

Large ship's figurehead, West Papua (New Guinea). Large figurehead in the round, called "Tsji Tsjemen". An openwork panel of intertwined geometric lines is set on a central axis representing a human being. The ensemble impresses with the strength of its geometric abstraction, with very modern echoes. The size of the piece suggests a figurehead for a large canoe, probably used for headhunting and other warlike expeditions. Traces of pigmentation, missing and partially burned (one side is completely blackened, see for example Wereldmuseum (Leiden, Netherlands), RV-5777-45). Asmat, (Northwest Region - Unir River; Central Region?) West Papua (New Guinea). Dimension: 165 cm high, 37 cm wide. Estimated dating: Second to last third of the 20th century Provenance : - Private collection, Nouméa - Acquired by Grégory Ronseaux from the previous owner Selective bibliography: * On Asmats in general: see lot 7. * On prows: - Jacques HOOGERBRUGGE & Simon KOOIJMAN, 70 jaar Asmat houtsnijkunst / 70 tahun seni pahat Asmat / 70 Years of Asmat Woodcarving, Volkenkundig Museum "Justinius van Nassau", Breda, 1979; fig. 51, 56-57. - Musée Territorial de Nouvelle-Calédonie, L'art Asmat, Musée Territoire de Nouvelle-Calédonie, 1999; p. 43 - MUDEC (Milano, Italy), Eravamo cacciatori di teste. Riti, vita e arte delle popolazioni Asmat, 2018, MUDEC; pp. 110-111 - Michael C. ROCKFELLER, 1967, The Asmat. Michael C. Rockfeller expeditions, Museum of Primitive Art, pp. 259-268. - Ignatius SUHARNO, Ukiran-Ukiran Kayu Irian Jaya: The Art of Woodcarving in Irian Jaya, Jakarta: Regional Government of Irian Jaya, and United Nations Development Programme, 1977 ; fig. 20-21 Corpus for matching : - Lot 139, Millon et Associés, Nice - Sept. 29, 2018 - Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) (New York), no. 1978.412.1119