Catalog Number
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 2005-0006-0015 | |
| Category | Carvings; Ceremonial Items | |
| Object Name | Mask | |
| Culture | Melanesian | |
| Global Region | Oceania | |
| Country | Papua New Guinea | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | Bismarck Archipelago: New Ireland | |
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | ||
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. early 1900s | |
| Collection Name | N/A | |
| Materials | Wood; Natural pigments; Sago (?) palm fiber; Commercial cloth; Nails; Cane | |
| Description | Large mask worn as part of the Malagan ceremony, a complex of mortuary rites intended to free a deceased person's soul from the body so it can continue to its final resting place; Stylized human face is hollowed out from back side and is carved on front with very large ears and nose, elongated openwork eye slits each fitted with a single shell eye, and an open mouth fitted with a small carved mouthpiece; Face is painted in yellow, white, black and rust brown pigments, and decorated with sago (?) palm fibers on cheeks and on top of head; Plant fiber bundle wrapped in commercial white cloth is wrapped around forehead and around back among crude cane strip framework; Extending out from each side of the nose to the ears is a carved element that probably represents boar tusks; Carved separately and inserted into the side of mask's ears are two flaring panels, each topped by a small carving of a bird; Each side panel is painted in same colors as mask on both front and back and each nearly doubles the overall height of the mask. | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 57.0, Depth = ca. 22.0, Length = 77.8 | |