Early 20th C. PNG Yangoru Boiken Wood Bowl

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Prince Alexander Mountains, Yangoru Boiken, ca. 1920s CE. A dark wood plate with gently sloping sides and a decorated exterior. The surface is painted a rich, earthy, dark brown. The bowl interior is smooth, but the exterior has a pretty, stylized carving that seems to depict two manta rays circling a round disc. Two small, openwork handles with scrolling motifs are attached to either side of the plate. The Yangoru Boiken people live in the mountains of the Sepik River region, near the Abelam people, and their artwork is characterized by animal figures. Size: 19.75" W (50.2 cm); 26" H (66 cm) on included custom stand.