Ancestors of the Lake Art from Lake Sentani and Humboldt Bay, New Guinea Virginia-Lee Webb

After Dutch expeditions reached New Guinea's Lake Sentani island and Humboldt Bay in the mid-1800s, Western visitors began collecting works by local artists. "Ancestors of the Lake" is a stunning look at the region's distinctive art, such as its highly stylized wooden sculptures and decoratively and abstractly designed bark cloths. This beautifully illustrated volume brings together many of these important historic pieces for the first time, including the landmark collection of French writer and art dealer Jacques Viot, along with photographs by Paul Wirz. The book also explores how European Surrealist artists found inspiration in the art of New Guinea, highlighted by rarely seen photographs by Man Ray of Sentani sculpture.

More about this title

Winner of 2011’s Prix International du Livre d'Art Tribal.

Virginia-Lee Webb is an art historian and retired Research Curator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Selected as the winner of this year's Prix International du Livre d'Art Tribal, International Tribal Book Prize (UK Award)--Prix International du Livre d'Art Tribal"Tribal Art & Sotheby's" (01/12/2012)

Page spreads