BELOW: Uli fi gure, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. Clarity and dynamism with an overall equilibrium yet unexpected details are all present in this daring and inventive sculpture. Every detail deserves attention and the whole is carefully constructed and dynamic. Is it the age? That is defi nitely present, and it may well be that uli of this size are the oldest. As is often the case in tribal art, syncopated and abrupt rhythms give the work a jazzy feel. In any event, the mastery in this fi gure is evidence of immense talent. ADAM, fi g. 67. 141 ABOVE: Uli fi gure, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. Is this sculpture by the same hand as the uli at right (fi g. 67)? Or from the same atelier? The artist demonstrates clear traits of classicism in its conception, but it is fi lled with surprises, like the exquisite small fi gure that emerges from its hips. When I saw this piece at Ralph Nash’s home, I was stunned by its power. It was once in the museum in Stuttgart, from which it was traded for a central heating system for the entire museum. As is so often the case in tribal art, these hermaphroditic beings are representations of the clan’s founding ancestors, both male and female. The ancestor’s prominent genitals guarantee succession, and the miniature uli on the lower part emerges from nowhere to support this ancestor. This explosive sculpture is peerless within its corpus. ADAM, fi g. 72.
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