A Fine Old New Guinea Pig Carving Massim Culture Milne Bay Province Papua New Guinea

A Fine Old New Guinea Pig Carving, Massim Culture, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea

This very cute stylized carved Pig is from the Massim culture in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea.

Pigs have always been of social and political, as well as economic, importance. Pigs are often used in dowry payments by a young man’s family to the bride’s family.

Pigs were probably introduced from SE Asia and there is some evidence that they may have been introduced as long ago as 10,000 years BP. Austronesian speakers seem to have introduced pigs of a different kind at some later time. Wild pigs are hunted for food. Domestic pigs are slaughtered for food when other sources of protein are unavailable but mostly kept for important ceremonial occasions, either within a village or in exchange arrangements with neighbouring groups.

Pigs in New Guinea are the most important animals for all communities; not only are they an important food source, but also, they are a form of traditional wealth & currency.  Wild boars are respected as powerful animals that can easily kill a man, they are also totemic clan emblems, in my time spent with the Marind Anim People on the South Coast of West Papua one of the most important clans were the Pig or Wild Boar Clan and they had a sacred Dema Costume for the Pig Clan.

Pigs are also gifted during traditional ceremonies and can be used to make alliances between different clan groups but also when gifted they incur deep, long-term commitments to be called on in the future when needed.

In New Guinea, carved wood pigs would have ceremonial or ritual uses; pigs or boars appear on all kinds of ceremonial objects like giant Slit Gong Drums, Sacred Flutes, Trumpets & House Posts.

In the John Friede / Jolika Collection now at the De Young Museum in San Francisco, there is an ancient Massim carved wood pig that was carbon-dated 1520-1810 with a 95% probability. It has an ancient, encrusted patina from handling and us,e showing these carved figures were important ceremonial objects going back to ancient times

The Friede Pig Carving is basically the same size at 42.4 cm and in the same style with incised designs.  It was published in the Jolika Collection bookplate 408 See photo below

Provenance: Nora Heysen Collection (1911-2003) Heysen was a famous Australian artist and was an official war artist in New Guinea during World War II.She was the daughter of the famous colonial artist Hans Heysen

In 1943 Nora was again making history, this time as the first Australian woman to be appointed war artist. Of these war paintings, the most striking are her portraits of women. Transport Driver (Aircraftwoman Florence Miles) and WAAAF Cook (Corporal Joan Whipp), both from 1945, are meditative renderings of powerful women at work; Heysen’s capacity to render her subjects’ femininity, strength and dignity while they are, respectively, driving a truck and cooking in the mess hall, is rare indeed.

The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Oceanic Art

See my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY  showing the Museums and Art Galleries Exhibitions that I provided artworks for over the past 40 years. There is the link to the article about my artworks published in the prestigious Louvre Magazine in 1996

I have artwork for Museums and 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 specializes in New Guinea and Oceanic Art.  Sydney is very close to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands, where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours.

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