MUTUAGA

Reputedly gifted to a Mrs Grace McKenzie of Armadale, Victoria by a sea captain in the early 1900s, thence by descent to her grandson, Mr Robert McGreehan
Private collection, acquired from the above

The figure appears in good condition overall and does not appear to have any restoration. The tip of the nose was broken off in the early days of its life. There are many areas where the natural pigment infill has worn away and there are two minor paint spots on the reverse of the left-hand thigh and on one side of the torso.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This figure standing on a base can safely be attributed to the master carver Mutuaga on stylistic grounds. All stylistic characteristics are typical of Mutuaga, including the twisted arms on the chest, which are found on some of his later pieces. The artist was active between about 1880 and 1920 in Dagodagoisu Village in the Suau area of Milne Bay Province. His village is on the New Guinea mainland opposite Suau Island. In the book on the artist (Mutuaga: A nineteenth-Century New Guinea Master Carver, Wollongong University Press, 1996), I distinguish, partly in terms of the shape of the eyes, between five closely-related successive styles in which he carved. The present figure with its concentric, almond-shaped eyes belongs to style 4, a style he used in the early 20th century. Mutuaga started carving lime spatulas with human-figure handles and pig handles in the 19th century for local use, but after he was befriended by the missionary Charles Abel, he started carving human figures on pedestals with three or four legs as gifts for his friend or for sale to Westerners. In a small number of instances, as in the present case, the base has no legs. The figures on pedestals are carved in the same style as those on spatulas

In the book, I attributed almost ninety spatulas, staffs, and independent figures to Mutuaga. Since then another thirty carvings have been located that can be attributed to him. This is an extraordinarily large body of works by one artist, active for forty years a century ago. It provides a unique opportunity for insights into the work of a New Guinea artist active at a time when interaction with Westerners became more frequent  

Sotheby's wishes to thank Dr Harry Beran for contributing this catalogue note