Magical Stone Face, early 20th century
Manam Island, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea, Melane…

Carved Head

ClassificationsSculpture

Dateearly 20th Century

Made AtMadang Province, Papua New Guinea

MediumStone

Dimensions3 × 2 5/8 × 2 1/4 in., 12.73 oz. (7.6 × 6.7 × 5.7 cm, 0.361 kg.)
In Mount: 5 × 2 3/4 × 2 1/2 in. (12.7 × 7 × 6.4 cm)

Credit LineBowers Museum Purchase

Object number2011.3.1

DescriptionStone objects date back to the earliest inhabitants of Melanesia, growing in specialization over time with the evolution of practices like agriculture and hunting. Mortars, pestles, and ceremonial objects that might be hundreds or thousands of years old are rediscovered with some frequency, especially during construction or from tilling soil, and are used or instilled with a newfound spiritual significance. Utilitarian stone tools tend to be undecorated, but pieces created for ceremonial purposes are highly refined—painstakingly pecked and ground to create figurative or abstract geometric forms.

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