Rare dance mask · Papua New Guinea - Eastern Highlands, Okapa District, Fore · ID: 3052912
Sotheby’s, London, 7 December 1992, lot 160
Wayne Heathcote, Brussels / New York / London
Description
wood, handwritten collection number on the back: “H5II”, base
The present mask is shown without adornment, as these were added only immediately before the ceremony in which it was used. The broad ridge above the eyebrows served to secure a headband made of nassas shells. As a crowning feature, it was given an elaborate feather headdress. A beard of tree lichens was attached around the face, hanging long and covering nearly the entire body of the dancer.
The mask dancer represents a bush spirit. These spirits can be both helpful and spiteful to the living, so must be treated with great care and respect.
The appearance of a Fore mask dancer is documented in a photograph by Stanley Gordon Moriarty from 1963.
This type of mask is now rarely found. With the introduction of Christianity in the 1950s, the Fore abandoned many of their traditional ritual practices. During his extensive field research in the highlands in the 1960s, Moriarty is said to have collected some of these masks, which, unfortunately, have since been lost.
The object Rare dance mask with the object ID 3052912 was last part of the auction Auction 106 at April 25, 2026 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 160 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,500.
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.