Prestige Staff
Papuan Gulf, Papua New Guinea
19th Century

PROVENANCE: Collected by Frank Heald sr. in Port Moresby in 1923. Lent to the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburg, 1926. Exhibited until 1960 then returned to the Heald family.

This Prestige Staff from the Papuan Gulf was collected in 1923 at Port Moresby. The staff is a stunning example of Papuan decoration. The strong simple body of the staff gives off a sense of power and determination while the delicately carved and incised engravings at the top give beautiful texture and form. A small expressive face is visible from the front of the staff, possibly personifying a spirit.

Inventory number: L.759-45
Height: Staff - 33" in. Figure - 9" in
IN 6-2-14 / Price on Request