Lot 3
Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Sepik River, Iatmul People, ca. 1940s CE. A striking long-nosed Tambaran spirit mask from the Iatmul people of the Middle Sepik River region, carved from a single piece of lightweight wood and decorated with traditional ochre, white, and black pigments. The elongated form is dominated by a sharply projecting beak-like nose extending well beyond the chin, a feature symbolizing the predatory bird spirits associated with clan totems and male initiation rites. The high, domed forehead is covered in fine dotted patterns, culminating in concentric circle motifs that may reference celestial or ancestral symbolism. Deeply recessed almond-shaped eyes are inlaid with cowrie shells, their lustrous surfaces adding a luminous, otherworldly intensity to the gaze, framed by softly contoured brows edged in red pigment. Size: 3.9" L x 5.5" W x 26.5" H (9.9 cm x 14 cm x 67.3 cm)
Such masks were used in the Tambaran (spirit house) during important ceremonial events, including male initiation, ancestral veneration, and social storytelling performances. Representing powerful supernatural beings, these masks embodied both protective and disciplinary forces within the community. The pointed, avian features served to link the human realm with the spirit world, while the polychrome decoration reinforced clan identity and mythological associations.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, purchased in April 1994; ex-James Economos Works of Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, collected before 1947; ex-Northeastern USA collection
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#196384
- Condition: Some nicks, abrasions, and areas of old, inactive insect damage, but otherwise, intact and excellent with impressive pigments.
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