**Originally Listed At $500**
Oceania, Papua New Guinea, probably Gulf Province, Tovei Village, ca. early to mid 20th century CE. An enormous yet playful dance mask woven from colorful plant fibers, the body presenting an attractive zigzag pattern, with two hanging bark 'sleeves' extending from openings on the lower body, and a long sago leaf skirt attached below the wooden ring that serves as the base of the figure. The head is somewhat anthropomorphic but definitely abstract, also woven of fiber, with openwork eyes (trimmed in cassowary feathers), an openwork mouth as well as a pronounced nose with extended septum or nose ring. The curved lines adorning the visage that resemble face paint are familiar from smaller Papuan masks. Cassowary feathers also project from the top of the head. Further contributing to the mask's expressive nature are the upraised arms with extended fingers. Masks like this one were made for elaborate ceremonies, often commemorating important agricultural activities in the local community. Size: 25" W x 66" H (63.5 cm x 167.6 cm); 82" H (208.3 cm) on included custom stand making it possible to see the lovely skirt.
Frank Hurley, a famous Australian photographer best known for his work photographing Shackleton's expeditions to Antarctica, also spent time from 1920 to 1923 photographing the indigenous people of New Guinea. One of his photographs shows two people wearing masks similar to this one.
Provenance: private Tucson, Arizona, USA collection, acquired between 1950 and 1985
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#150834
Condition
Light wear on surface commensurate with age. The bark sleeves show age wear but are still attached. The sago leaf skirt has a relatively small area of separation from the lower ring. Otherwise in nice condition with light fading to the pigment on the surface.