Collection Online

Ancestor figure
(c. 1986)

Medium
earth pigments on clay and fibre, conch shell, palm leaf

Measurements
60.5 × 40.9 × 15.2 cm

Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Todd Barlin, 2009
© the artists

Gallery location
Not on display

Artwork Details

Place/s of Execution
Malekula Island, Vanuatu

Accession Number
2009.43

Departments
Oceanic Sculpture / Pacific Art

This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Vizard Foundation

Physical description
The very powerful ancestor figure resembles to the vegetable fibre, clay, spider wed and pigment sculptures of South Malekula. Constructed from a frame over-modelled with vegetable fibre and pigments, the figure is set on a large conch shell and decorated with bold lines painted with black and white pigments.