Hook mask "garra" ·  Papua New Guinea - Hunstein Mountains, Bahinemo · ID: 3048913

Description

wood, red and yellow ochre, lime, black pigment, base

All the “garra” (= “sacred items”) of the Bahinemo are believed to have been originally created by “wimogu” and “igoshua”, a mythical couple who is said to still live on a small island at the mouth of the April River.

“Garra” masks were the focus of male initiation rites and hunting and were linked to senior men, elders of the clan and forest spirits. Each “garra” mask portrays a specific spirit whose name and powers were intimately known to the individual man who owned it.

The carved hooks represent hornbill beaks. The large hornbill is associated with the soul, ancestors and the spirit world throughout South-East Asia. The consumption of hornbills themselves, as well as the use of their spectacular feathers and beaks, were the reserve of initiated elders.

When not in use, the images were stored in the men’s ceremonial house along with other sacred objects or suspended from the rafters, safely concealed from uninitiated eyes.

The object Hook mask “garra” with the object ID 3048913 was last part of the auction 98th Auction at March 26, 2022 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 133 achieved a sales price of EUR 4,500.

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. 266

Publications

John Giltsoff, Girona, Gallery Catalogue 2008, p. 2