Bar mask "yena" ·  Papua New Guinea - Upper Sepik, Washkuk area, Nukuma · ID: 3047900

Description

wood, colour pigments, base

Pompous ceremonies should ensure a rich, good yam harvest. This included the “yena-ma” festival, during which staff masks, such as this one, were placed on top of piles of yam tubers. According to Meyer, the “yena” represents a spirit “sikilowas”.

The object Bar mask “yena” with the object ID 3047900 was part of the auction 96th Auction on April 24, 2021. The object with the lot number 44 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,700 with an asking price of EUR 1,500.

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. 269