Mask ·  Papua New Guinea - Sepik · ID: 3032339

Description

wood, dark brown patina, remains of polychrome paint (yellow and red ochre, kaolin), typical form, nose with pierced septum, remains of ornamental painting, eyelets on top and at the bottom, drilled holes around the rim, slightly dam., missing part (nose);
representing an ancestor; in the Sepik area, it is generally accepted that long pointed nosed represent spiritual beings while short naturalistic ones portray true ancestors.

The object Mask with the object ID 3032339 was part of the auction 68th tribal art auction on March 3, 2012. The object with the lot number 138 achieved a sales price of EUR 12,000 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. 193