Figure Item Number: 3488/2 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Carved wooden figure of a kneeling man. His entire body is long and thin. He is straight backed and his head is sticking straight out from his shoulders. He has an angular face, with bulging eyes, a prominent brow and short, wide nose. His cheeks are hollow, has a wide, open mouth and his chin is jutting out. Large oval-shaped ears on either side of head, with wide, tapering holes in their centres. Hair fibres are nailed to the top of his head, curving backwards. The hair is braided along his forehead. He has a woven plant fibre skirt around his waist, with fringe along the bottom edge. The man’s knees are spread widely apart, with his upper body resting on his heels. His left hand is resting on his knee and his right arm is bent in front of him, with his hand under his chin.
The pair of figures (3488/1-2) were given as gifts to the donor in 1995 when she worked in the area of Wamena, in Papua, on the island of New Guinea. The style suggests they may have originated in the area of West Papua.