African & Oceanic Art | Antiquities - 8th June 2021
Lot 407
A Nicobar standing male figure kareau
Estimate £2,000 - £3,000 | Hammer £34000
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Description
A Nicobar standing male figure kareau
Bay of Bengal
with an outlined coiffure and elliptical eyes, one with the remains of a black resin pupil and shell overlay, a rounded nose and an open mouth baring his teeth, with remains of burnishing to the coiffure and pigment to the face, the right arm raised with the fist clenched and the left arm angled in front of the body, his penis covered by a triangular section, the feet (one part replaced) with slightly up-turned toes,
76cm high.
Provenance
Edward Croft-Murray (1907-1980)
These wooden figures, kareau, were placed inside the entrance of huts to scare away the spirits on the islands of Nicobar. This particular model would have held a spear in the right hand to ward off such spirits.