Tuxedo Park Junk Shop Mid-20th C. Papua New Guinea Kwoma Pottery Cult Vessel

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Middle Sepik River region, Washkuk Hills, Kwoma peoples, ca. mid to late 20th century CE. A hand-built pottery cult head known as a “wasau” with a conical base and a bulbous body. The top half consists of an abstract anthropomorphic head with a looped nose, full lips, projecting tubular eyes with applied resin pupils from old cassette tapes, tab-shaped ears, and a pinched facial border, all presented in red, white, blue, and yellow pigments atop a black-painted ground. 7.5″ W x 14″ H