Imunu sculpture

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Imunu sculptures of this size and quality are incredibly rare, this one is unique as a Janus figure. The very precise and detailed scarification marks on the body, as well as the way both faces were sculpted show the high quality of this work. Thomas Schultze-Westrum – who acquired this sculpture in situ – was one of the most important collectors for art from the region of the Papuan Gulf, which he discovered at a point of time as the old rituals were abandoned. This is why he succeeded in acquiring in situ a few until then unknown masterpieces of great age. Following John Friede acquired a group of important artworks from him, among them this imunu sculpture.

This imunu sculpture is the embodiment of an important spirit-being from the region of the Capo Creek in Papua New Guinea. Sculpted from a found root of the mangrove tree, whose form appeared to the artist in his dream, was the form of the body, of the arms and of the legs taken from the form of the tree. This is why Douglas Newton described imunu  sculptures as the Gulf equivalent of objets trouvés and “the most personal works of art from the whole Papuan Gulf area” (Newton, 1961, p.62).