A large Sepik River ancestral ceremonial house panel, Middle Sepik River Region, Papua New Guinea.

Carved in wood with traces of white pigment and fiber attachments, the elongated panel surmounted by a projecting ancestral head above a secondary mask-like visage. The front is intricately carved in symmetrical relief with interconnected curvilinear spirit motifs and clan imagery, while the reverse is decorated with geometric painted designs and retains remnants of original fiber lashings and attachment elements. The surface displays a rich dark patina together with extensive wear consistent with prolonged ceremonial use.

Large carved house panels of this type traditionally adorned men's ceremonial houses (haus tambaran), serving as powerful ancestral images associated with clan identity, ritual practice, and spiritual protection throughout the Middle Sepik River region.

Height: 64 in. (162.5 cm.)

Provenance
Property from an important private collection, assembled by a dealer and collector over more than six decades.