Male, Female & Two Hornbills #12

All the items that are listed here are vintage from the 1980s so they are not in absolute MINT condition. They are second-hand and come with wear commensurate with age. Please refer to the photos for detailed item descriptions.

This is a hardwood carving from the late 1980s (purchased in 1989 in Timika, Papua, Indonesia). It is 53 centimeters in height.

It is common to call most carvings like this one an ancestor figure. Ancestor figures are the material representation of ancestors for whom the carvings were named. Ancestor figures were set in crosspieces in the wall of the jeu, or laid flat on the floor. Figures that ended in a point were placed in the ground in front of the jeu. These carvings are made out of a single piece of wood. In the cases where there is more than one figure in the carving they are either put above each other, placed face-to-face, or staggered. Standing up carvings in the jeu was precarious because the floors, made out of bark, move when people walk across them. Some carvings, especially ones made for sale will usually have a base that makes them more or less stable when standing upright.

The male figure is holding the female from behind; she is straddling two hornbills. There are no cracks or holes in this fascinating carving. The male's penis is actually attached to the backside of the female. In the past, it was rare to see statues with a male and female in coitu. As with the Balinese and their giant carved penises and the massive penis coverings found in the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea, this can be attributed to Western tastes for something titillating (or at least in so far as local carvers interpret foreign tastes.)

Price is USD 250 or 3.500,000 Indonesian Rupiah. Reasonable offers will be considered.