Mask of a mythical spirit "tangbwal" ·  Papua New Guinea - Sepik · ID: 3032997

Description

wood, dark brown patina, nose with pierced septum and nose ornament, the face entirely framed by a tube of palm fibre, wrapped with plaited rotan cuffs and nassa strings, cross bar for fixing the mask with the mouth backside, slightly dam., paint rubbed off;
“tangbwal” spirits were called forth to regulate the food supply in preparation for ceremonial feasts. For about three or four months masked dancers would appear in the village. They would issue and enforce a ban on the collecting of coconuts so that a sufficient quantity would be available for the forthcomig event. When enough coconuts had ripened, the “tangbwal” left the village on a mythical vessel represented by a decorated platform in the shape of a canoe.

Comparing literature

Meyer, Anthony J.P., Ozeanische Kunst, Vol. I, Köln 1995, ill. 187