Provenance :
– Wolfs Gallery, Cleveland
– Ann & Norman Roulet Collection, Cleveland
– Gray’s Auctioneers, Cleveland, USA. November 6, 2014, lot 67
– Private collection Chicago, USA
– Michael Hamson , Palos Verde, USA (MHF-347)
– Private collection, Canada

Garra(ge’rä) is the word used by the Bahinemo people. These hooked figures were hung in men’s houses along with other objects of worship. During initiation ceremonies, they were held between the dancer’s legs.

According to Douglas Newton (1) “the garra are identified both with the spirits of the bush and with the elderly men of the clan, the only ones authorized to consume the flesh of the hornbills – symbolized by the hooks – that nest in the places where the spirits live. “Our hook is distinguished by its large dimensions and perfect state of preservation.
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1- Newton. 1971, p.20