Description:

**Originally Listed At $300**

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Sepik River region, Abelam people, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. A polychrome wooden spirit mask carving atop a pole, featuring a pair of symmetrically emerging birds, likely hornbills, at the top. The surface is adorned with yellow and red ochre, black, and kaolin white pigments, creating a striking visual effect. The presence of the pole indicates that this "mask" was not worn but was instead placed upright within a pile of yams as part of ceremonial displays. The yam ceremony is a highly significant ritual among the Abelam people, centered on the cultivation and ceremonial presentation of long yams (Dioscorea alata), which symbolize social status, spiritual power, and male prestige. The most impressive yams are elaborately decorated and displayed in competitive exchanges that reinforce community hierarchies and ancestral reverence. Size: 25" L x 6" W (63.5 cm x 15.2 cm)

Provenance: private Denver, Colorado, USA collection, acquired between 1960 to 1990

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#192570

  • Condition: Deep but stable pressure fissures and chips throughout, but otherwise good condition with nice preservation to the pigments.

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February 8, 2026 10:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000