Description:

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, lower Sepik River, Murik Lakes region, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. This is an extraordinary wooden mask with a lengthy nose that resembles a mosquito! The mask is composed of a long, ovoid wooden panel with a curved chin and a jutting forehead with a pair of slit cut eyes above an exceptionally long proboscis with nostrils cut underneath near to the panel. Remains of red and orange stripes create chevrons across the chin and stippling on the proboscis, representative of blood- the color of life. At the top is an integral loop and perforations on the interior rim for attaching a basket framework for the wearer to put on their head. Whoever wore the mask was presumed to be possessed by the spirit the visage represented - in this instance the barak (barag or parak), the spirit of men's initiation ceremonies. Size: 18" L x 6.5" W (45.7 cm x 16.5 cm); 23.5" H (59.7 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Jersey City, New Jersey, USA collection; ex-Marc Assayag collection; ex-Mark Eglinton collection; ex-Scott Rodowitz collection; ex-John C. Elder collection, collected in 1970

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#169909

  • Condition: Chips and losses to peripheries and rim of mask. Old inactive insect boreholes throughout. Stable pressure fissure that perforates the chin area. Some fading and losses to pigments. Wonderful patina and preservation to nose.

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March 3, 2022 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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