Asmat Sculpted Head: A Piece That Has Been Published And Exhibited

JEAN-PIERRE DUTILLEUX COLLECTION

CULTURE

Asmat People

REGION

West Papua, Indonesia

MATERIAL

Carved wood

DIMENSIONS

Height: 19 cm

DESCRIPTION

A male head carved from dense wood, featuring a narrow, elongated face. The elongated almond-shaped eyes are highlighted by fine relief carvings; a long, straight nose dominates a protruding mouth with full lips. Two curved incisions extending from the sides of the nose enliven the cheeks, while the ears are carefully carved out on either side of the face.

The upper part of the skull is distinguished by a deep carved line forming a cap with geometric contours. This original segmentation powerfully structures the face and lends the piece a silent, introspective presence.

The surface retains a nuanced brown patina, accompanied by tool marks, scuff marks, and ancient marks.

CULTURAL CONTEXT

The human figure occupies a central place in the art of the Asmat, a people settled in the swampy regions of the southwestern coast of West New Guinea. It is intimately associated with the memory of the deceased, the evocation of ancestors, and the continuity between the world of the living and that of the spirits. Through the simplicity of its forms and the intensity of its expression, this head offers a particularly powerful synthesis of this sculptural tradition.

PROVENANCE, PUBLICATION, AND EXHIBITION

Provenance: Jean-Pierre Dutilleux Collection.

This head is reproduced in Jean-Pierre Dutilleux’s book, *Les Peuples Premiers – The First World*, in the section devoted to the Asmat of Irian Jaya, under the caption “Carved Asmat Head.” This particular example is formally recognizable by the shape of the skull cap, the incisions on the cheeks, and the distinctive modeling of the eyes and mouth.

The work has also been featured in several exhibitions dedicated to the Jean-Pierre Dutilleux Collection. An exhibition photograph shows it displayed in a case among a collection of ethnographic objects.

CONDITION

Very good condition.