Description

Finial derivation. Tall, carved dark wood finial composed of a tower of figures, standing or sitting one atop the other: two males and a female topped by a bird with large curved beak. All are painted red, yellow and white in parts. The two front facing figures wear grass skirts and the back facing figure, with a fish on his back, holds a snake. The bottom figure wears a snake mask, the other two figures have painted face decoration. All figures have shell eyes and wear woven fibre adornment at ear, nose, neck, wrist and/or ankle. Artist signature is painted in white around base.