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A Superb New Guinea Ceremonial Bark Belt Papuan Gulf Area New Guinea


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Collection No. T-3321
Size 20 cm x 19cm
A Superb New Guinea Ceremonial Bark Belt Papuan Gulf Area New Guinea
A Superb New Guinea Ceremonial Bark Belt Papuan Gulf Area New Guinea
A Superb New Guinea Ceremonial Bark Belt Papuan Gulf Area New Guinea
A Superb New Guinea Ceremonial Bark Belt Papuan Gulf Area New Guinea
A Superb New Guinea Ceremonial Bark Belt Papuan Gulf Area New Guinea
A Superb New Guinea Ceremonial Bark Belt Papuan Gulf Area New Guinea
A Superb New Guinea Ceremonial Bark Belt Papuan Gulf Area New Guinea
A Superb New Guinea Ceremonial Bark Belt Papuan Gulf Area New Guinea
A Superb New Guinea Ceremonial Bark Belt Papuan Gulf Area New Guinea
A Superb New Guinea Ceremonial Bark Belt Papuan Gulf Area New Guinea

A Superb New Guinea Ceremonial Bark Belt Papuan Gulf Area New Guinea

This fine old ceremonial Bark Belt is from the Papuan Gulf Area in the Gulf Province of Papua New Guinea.  In several areas of Papua New Guinea, men made and wore bark belts like this fine example. In the Papuan Gulf area, only men of a certain level of male initiation could wear a Bark Belt and each clan had specific designs that could be used.

To make a Bark Belt like this the bark would have been stripped off a large tree and while still supple it would have been cut and then carved with the incised clan designs, later when dry they would highlight the carving by adding ochre colour as this example. It would be worn around the waist with other accouterments like leaves & tapa cloth and shell ornaments.

This is a superb example because of the extremely well-carved designs and the near-perfect condition.  The Bark Belt was collected in the 1960s and it would date from the 1940s or earlier.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of Papua New Guinea Oceanic Art

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & Art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery.  I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com  where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours. 

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