Neuhauss’ Deutsch Neu-Guinea
Published in 1911 by the German medical
scientist Richard Neuhauss, Deutsch Neu-
Guinea Band 1 is one of the very early
and important publications on the art of
Papua New Guinea. Although only a few
objects are depicted, the book gives a
significant over-view on pre-contact art
from the Huon-Gulf and the Sepik River;
the latter was visited by Neuhauss in
1910 together with Otto Schlaginhaufen.
Included into this seminal publication is
this magnificent flying fox sculpture (H.
25cm) from the Lover Sepik River area, as
can be seen on the picture below. Dating
back to the 19th century, it is both one
of the first collected and first published
examples of its type. In situ ritually
used as a love charm, it is a poetic work
of art and an object of great rarity. In
the more than one hundred years that
followed the Neuhauss publication, it
was always a very treasured work of
art that was part of several important
collections of Oceanic Art – notably the
highly renowned one of Walter Bondy.
Well-known for his deep sense of quality
the flying fox sculpture can be seen in a
picture in his Parisian home in 1930.
The Flying Fox sculpture illustrated in Richard
Neuhauss’ Deutsch Neu-Guinea Band 1, 1911
CATALOGUE™„Avant“™available during PARCOURS DES MONDES
3, rue visconti,›Paris, 11.™-™16. September 2018