Rare old Mentawai Indonesia carved wood panel withsnake (naga) ex. Bruce Carpenter

  
This is a stunning and very powerful piece of authentic Mentawai tribal art. The relief carving is of a snake or naga, expertly carved in classic Mentawai style with typically graceful and symmetrical proportions. This panel has an excellent provenance.

Mark Johnson writes, I got the piece from Bruce Carpenter, one of the authors of the Mentawai catalog. " Bruce Carpenter is co-author with Jerome Feldman of the essential tribal art book, "Mentawai Art (Archipelago Press, 1999). It measures approximately 61 1/2" high x 10 1/2" wide x 1 1/2 deep.

It is in very good condition, with some expected minor losses to the wood due to age and weather exposure. There is a stable crack at the bottom portion of the panel (visible in the photos). The first three professional photos are from the original listing by Mark A. Authentic tribal art from Mentawai is exceedingly hard to find these days.

This piece was field collected by one of the foremost experts in Mentawai art. From the literature: The people of Mentawai Islands off the west coast of Sumatra were once feared head hunters. Theirs was an egalitarian society, in marked contrast to the many hierarchical societies of nearby Nias and Sumatra. They traditionally lived off the forests, raising sago and bananas, pigs and chickens.

They hunted and fished and traded in forest products. Panels with gracefully rendered animal motifs, most notably birds and gibbons, were used to decorate the doors and the inner walls of their simple houses. The item "Rare old Mentawai Indonesia carved wood panel withsnake (naga) ex. Bruce Carpenter" is in sale since Thursday, April 9, 2020. This item is in the category "Antiques\Ethnographic\Pacific Islands & Oceania".

The seller is "sdpilgrimsoul2012" and is located in Carlsbad, California. This item can be shipped to North, South, or Latin America, all countries in Europe, all countries in continental Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, South africa, Reunion.

• Material: Wood
• Original/Reproduction: Original
• Color: Light Wood Tone
• Featured Refinements: Mentawai