Art of Northwest New Guinea: From Geelvink Bay, Humboldt Bay, and Lake Sentani

Greub, Suzanne. Art of Northwest New Guinea: From Geelvink Bay, Humboldt Bay, and Lake Sentani. New York: Rizzoli, 1992. First edition. Folio. 224pp. Original photo-illustrated dust-jacket over half cloth and paper covered boards. Color frontispiece. Pictorial title page. This remarkable work presents a dramatic overview of the art of Northwest New Guinea, or present-day Irian Jaya. Some 200 outstanding objects of ritual and daily use are illustrated to demonstrate the aesthetic sensibilities of the nonliterate peoples of this region. The objects, drawn primarily from Dutch collections, have been known to collectors and ethnologists since the nineteenth century. But it was particularly through the interest of the French Surrealists that the elegantly painted bark cloths and sculptural figures came to be viewed as part of the larger world of high art. This book brings together a compilation of essays by noted scholars in the fields of ethnology and art history, placing the works in context. Previous owner’s blind-stamp on front free endpaper (Norman Hurst). Dust-jacket, binding and interior in overall very good condition. vg. Hardcover. (34955) $70