Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number CAS 2014-0001-0009   CAS 2014-0001-0009; Mask carving
Category Carvings
Object Name Mask carving
Culture Melanesian
Global Region Oceania
Country Papua New Guinea
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture 1990-1994
Collection Name N/A
Materials Wood; Pigments; Cowrie (Cypraeidae) shells; Plant fiber
Description Two-dimensional wall hanging in the form of a mask, carved from a single piece of wood; Mask is oval-shaped and shows an elongated face with a shallowly carved headdress, possibly representing an animal, with different portions stained white, red, and yellow; Figure’s face is stained white and its nose and extended tongue are carved in high relief (a distended tongue is a sign of welcoming); Tongue and mouth are stained red, and a black dot is painted on each cheek and along each side of the chin; Each eye is inset with a cowrie shell, with the area around each eye either stained black, either with stain or resulting from whatever was used to attach the shells; Short length of native cordage is strung through small hole drilled through top of mask.
Dimensions (cm) Height = 37.5, Width = 14.3, Depth = 5.4