Iatmul Cuscus & Ambusap Bride Statue Hand carved Art Sepik Papua Guinea 32A10

Reduced from $900.00

 

 

 

Rare, Hand-carved Bridal Statue with veil and cuscus resting on her head

Measures: 34" X 10" 

  This unique statue has a cuscus on her head, a symbol of her tribe, and Nassa shell eyes.

All our Tribal East Sepik river region carvings, from Papua New Guinea, were collected on the premises. 

This statue is a bride and wears on her head a rare and important piece of clothing, a bridal cap or veil called "Ambusup or Ambusap", the most significant piece of personal adornment worn by the Iatmul people, Lower Sepik River region, Papua New Guinea as seen on 2 of the photos.  

Consisting, in real life, of a woven natural bark fiber veil studded with both nassa and cowry shells as seen on photos 5 and 8, such headdress were once painstakingly decorated for countless hours, often with added attachments of pearl shell and bird's feathers. 

Often at the base of the veil is a skillfully shaped woven crocodile head. Such pieces are worn by a bride when she first enters her husband's House.

The same headdress can also be worn by men in the course of certain rituals. In that context, disguised as a bride, they represent an ancestress.

Check Dominique Rice Oceania Store in Sun Sentinel Newspaper, Fort Lauderdale, for information on our collection and authentic art. 

All our collector and rare items come with pages and pages of research about provenance, and with history of the tribes and photos as well, depending on item and whenever possible. When shipping internationally, we group ship multiple purchases to save you money, and find the best rates available. If you have any questions or want to see research conducted on this piece and photos of tribes, email or call us.

We have artifacts and architectural accents up to 10 ft tall that we will put on upon request because shipping has to be calculated accordingly with trucking company.