Ancestor spirit mask ·  Papua New Guinea - Ramu River (Middle) / Guam River area · ID: 3048246

Description

wood, pigment remains, missing part (peg at the upper end), base

These small masks served as ornaments for the large sacred flutes. The sound of the flute is the resonant voice of the spirit represented by the mask.

The object Ancestor spirit mask with the object ID 3048246 was last part of the auction 97th Auction at November 6, 2021 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 34 achieved a sales price of EUR 500.

You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on Oceanian art.

Comparing literature

Meyer, Anthony J.P., Ozeanische Kunst, Vol. I, Köln 1995, p. 174, cat. 179