Face Mask
Artist
Unknown
Date20th century
MediumWood
Dimensions36 x 12 3/4 x 8 1/8 in. (91.4 x 32.4 x 20.6 cm)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Hanes
Object number86.17
On View
Not on viewNew Guinea masks are not representational but personify supernatural beings, affirming and reinforcing the sacred order created by spiritual forces. This example is a face mask that would have been used in dance ceremonies associated with a secret society. Apparently, an insect forms the facial features. The design also incorporates a crocodile, whose tail and head project at top and bottom. In the creation myth of some Sepik River peoples, the crocodile figures prominently as the primal ancestor who brought earth from under the primordial waters to make habitable land. Object Rights Statement
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Unknown
