Male "mai" mask · Papua New Guinea, Iatmul · ID: 3040153
Christie’s, London, The Meulendijk Collection of Tribal Art, Part I, 21 October 1980, lot 301
Description
wood, black patina, remains of white pigment, eyes with shell inlay, long and thin mask (as is typical for the male type) and bow-shaped extension of the nose, decoration with nassa snails missing, slightly dam., abrasion of paint, acrylic base;
the “mai” mask, according to some sources, gets its name from the little nassa shells “mai” with which it is usually abundantly decorated. These masks are attached to a profulesly adorned conical mask frame worn during certain ceremonies by young men representing and bearing the names of pairs of clan ancestral brothers and sisters. The long thin masks are male, while the fuller and rounder ones represent the female.
The object Male “mai” mask with the object ID 3040153 was last part of the auction 82nd Tribal Art Auction at February 27, 2016 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 49 achieved a sales price of EUR 3,000.
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
Craig, Barry (ed.), Living spirits with fixed abodes, Honolulu 2010, p. 206