Gable mask ·  Papua New Guinea - Middle Sepik, Iatmul · ID: 3033635

Description

wood, black ground, red and white pigment, entirely painted with curvilinear ornaments, at which the slanting eyes are especially accentuated, pierced stirrup-shaped nose with inflated nostrils, carved with a small hornbill and wild boar tusks, slightly dam., boar tusks missing on the left, pigment rubbed off;
the Iatmul used to attach large raffia plaited or wooden masks to the gables of dwelling and ritual houses. The gable masks of dwelling houses represent female clan-specific spiritual beings, whose task is to protect the inhabitants of the respective houses from any harm or mistfortune that might occur.

The object Gable mask with the object ID 3033635 was part of the auction 70th tribal art auction on September 8, 2012. The object with the lot number 66 achieved a sales price of EUR 4,000 with an asking price of EUR 2,500.

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Comparing literature

Greub, Suzanne (ed.), Kunst am Sepik, Basel 1985, ill. 34 f.