Mimika Ancestor Statue, Irian Jaya

Private Collection, Germany
Charles Edouard Duflon, Geneva, acquired from the above
Private Collection, Brussels, acquired from the above

Good condition for an object of this age and rare type. Marks, nicks, scratches, abrasions, and small chips consistent with age and use. Knot in the wood to the proper left side behind figure's face. Both arms broken and glued (clean breaks). Age cracks, including one to front proper left side of front of figure and to integrally-carved plinth behind the proper left foot. Fine aged patina with crusty remains of white pigment and some darkened areas. Fixed to base with two metal pegs inserted beneath the foot.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

According to Meyer (1995: 77), the "Mimika live on the central southern coast of western New Guinea [Irian Jaya], between Triton Bay, the south-eastern boundary of the Korvar area, and the Otokwa River, the western fringe of the Asmat.  The art of the Mimika people is related to its western and eastern neighbors.  Mimika art is more or less unknown outside of the Dutch collections.  It is a strongly architectured art form, with human figures typically carved in a combination of solid and 'empty' parts."

A closely related Mimika statue in the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde, Leiden (inv. no. "1971-590a") was collected prior to 1913 and has been interpreted as representation of a pregnant woman. Statues of women count amongst the rarest in the museum's collection. 

They were all collected in eastern Mimika territory and seem to have been ritually used during a ritual of the name kiawa, a local variant of the emakame ritual which celebrated the creation of man and the renewal of life. During the rituals four female figures were placed together in the ceremonial house (for further discussion see Kooijman 1984: 25-31). 

Kooijman (1984: 25) notes that all female figures are of overall cylindrical form and represented in standing position with bent legs, curved arms and hands held to the chin. While most other Mimika female figures are represented with body scarification featuring the navel (mopere) motif, a reference to the motherly navel and sign of fertility and the renewal of life, the offered lot does not feature any scarification.  However, the upwards pointing element emerging from the stomach and held with both hands could represent the umbellical cord.  Other distinctive features of the offered lot are the pointed head and the dense horizontal lines on the figure's face and cross-hatched motif on the reverse. The emakame ceremony is based on a myth involving a snake-woman Mirokoata and her son Mirikoatajao (Pouwer 1983: 144-145) and it is possible that these features of the offered lot evoke the reptile mother.