Description:

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, East Sepik River region, Iatmul peoples, ca. first half of the 20th century CE. An absolutely massive mask composed of tightly-woven reed fibers wrapped around a sturdy superstructure formed from bent wooden poles. The deeply sunken face has a woven nose with a wooden crescent nose ring, discoid eyes lined with thin cassowary feathers, a plateaued brow which is hollow on the verso, and a raised upper lip revealing a row of carved wooden teeth and a red-painted wooden tongue. Layers of black, white, and orange-red pigment create drooping rungs along the face and brow. Masks like this example are part of an important ceremony for initiated men. The mask is tied to a gable inside a ceremonial ancestral hut to represent the face of the "primordial female ancestor," with the structure itself representing her body. Size: 48" W x 63.625" H (121.9 cm x 161.6 cm).

Provenance: private Tucson, Arizona, USA collection, acquired between 1950 and 1985

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.

We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#147954

  • Condition: Slight bending to overall form of peripheries and nose, with abrasions to tongue and nose ring, and chipping and fading to original pigmentation, otherwise intact and very good. Nice earthen deposits and traces of original pigmentation throughout.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Shipping

Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense

July 25, 2019 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 24.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000