Suspension Hook - Middle Sepik Area

Elegant janus hook built in a geometric way. It is decorated with two ancestor's heads on the upper part - the elongated shape of the faces, the rounded forehead and the prominent eyebrow arches are reminiscent of the style of the Mvai masks of the western Iatmul people. The carving is vivid and powerful. The lower part is decorated with chevrons. The surface has a slightly crusting patina. The upper part of the hooks has a patina of heavy use - Middle Sepik area, Papua New Guinea - First half of the 20th century.
Inv. # 5366