26 - Bouchon de flûte Iatmul, Moyen Sepik, Paouasie Nouvelle-Guinée

Bouchon de flûte Iatmul, Moyen Sepik, Paouasie Nouvelle-Guinée Early 20th century Carved wood and pigments H. 38.5 cm Notable for its slender silhouette and powerfully stylized face, this flute stopper belongs to the sculptural tradition of the Iatmul people of the Middle Sepik, a region located in the Sepik River valley, north of present-day Papua New Guinea. Traditionally associated with the large sacred bamboo flutes kept in the haus tambaran (men’s ceremonial house), they were used to seal the end of the instrument. Beyond their practical function, the flutes were believed to give voice to the ancestors and spiritual powers. Through the echo of their sounds, they thus became messengers between humans and invisible forces. The face, set within an elongated oval, reveals a remarkable economy of form. The high, domed forehead dominates the deeply recessed eyes, set beneath powerful brow ridges. The serious, penetrating gaze contrasts with the delicacy of the mouth, which is barely curved into a smile. The vertical nose with upturned nostrils further accentuates this facial expression, which is at once severe, secretive, and striking. Provenance - Bruce Frank Collection, New York - Pierre Mondoloni Collection, France, acquired from the previous owner in January 2009 Littérature Main bibliographic references cited: Gregory Bateson, “Social Structure of the Iatmul People of the Sepik River,” *Oceania*, vol. 2, no. 3, 1932 Ralph C. Altman, *Art of New Guinea: Sepik, Maprik, and Highlands*, exhibition catalog [Los Angeles, University of California, Museum and Laboratories of Ethnic Arts and Technology, Ethnic Art Galleries, 1967], Los Angeles, 1967, p. 52 Allen Wardwell, *The Art of the Sepik River*, The Art Institute of Chicago, 1971, esp. p. 77 on flute plugs from the Middle Sepik / Iatmul Ina R. Dinerman, “Iatmul Art as Iconography (New Guinea),” *Anthropos*, vol. 76, 1981, pp. 807–824 Barry Craig (ed.), *Living Spirits with Fixed Abodes: The Masterpieces Exhibition – Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery*, Crawford House Publ., 2010