Ewa Male Figure, Korowori River, Middle Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea

Collected in situ by Dr. Philip Goldman
Goldman Family Collection, London
Marcia and John Friede, New York, acquired from the above
Sotheby's Paris, December 3, 2009, lot 27
Private European Collection, acquired at the above auction

Good condition overall. Wear consistent with age and use within the culture. Some hairline cracks, erosion along the right edge of the face, and chips to the lower lip, all visible in the catalogue illustration. The three end points missing on the right shoulder, also visible in the catalogue illustration. Lower part of the projecting torso section has been broken in two parts and repaired and glued using the original piece.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Large scale Ewa figures such as the offered lot were essentially unknown to art historians until the second half of the 20th century. In 1968, the exhibition The Caves of Karawari at the art dealer Maurice Bonnefoy's D'Arcy Galleries in New York made a "considerable impact" upon the public, revealing one hundred or so hitherto unknown Yiman yipwon figures, together with male aripa figures from the neighbouring Ewa people.

These figures are rarely found in such monumental size. This male figure was carved to be seen in profile, and rests on a single leg; the openwork chest is executed in a succession of characteristic notched forms, the raised decorative motifs highlighted with white and red ochre pigments.

As with the large yipwon figures, aripa figures represent hunting spirits. They were kept in a sacred part of the men's ceremonial house, and after the death of their owners were placed alongside them in rock shelters or in caves, which were then used as places of worship or commemoration (Kaufmann 2003: 98).

For a related figure in the Museum der Kulturen, Basel, see Kaufmann (2003: 32).