Age

There are many reasons why there is almost a fanatical insistence on age when evaluating New Guinea art. First among these is the issue of authenticity. While the topic of authenticity gets batted around in academic circles as an outdated and vague concept; within the harsh reality of the marketplace it is a clear-cut and essential factor. Authenticity boils down to artistic intention. Whether an artist makes a piece to sell to a hapless tourist or undertakes to carve a figure that brings to life an ancestral spirit are two drastically different intentions. And these two enormously different intentions often correspond to two dramatically different artistic results. The first will probably produce a lifeless wood carving that may be technically proficient and decorative but will be lacking the essential soul that elevates an artifact into a piece of art. Although not all pre-contact pieces have artistic strength and merit, there is a better chance of this, when the intentions are pure and exalted, that the artist can achieve an inspired and memorable piece--one so imbued with the strength and power of the ancestors, both benevolent and malevolent, that this intensity of purpose can be felt in its unwavering gaze.