< Previous East Sepik Province Next >

Mask
East Sepik Province
late 20th century
Fiber, feathers, pigment
H. 44 cm
TC 281

This whimsical woven headdress comes from the Southern Abelam people who live in the grassy plains south of the Prince Alexander Mountains. Such a small, finely woven headdress would have been placed behind a yam mask on a fully decorated long yam and also could have been worn on the back of the head of a male dancer. The piece is unusual for having a ancestral face woven directly onto the headdress with the loop handle forming the mouth. The piece has strong remains of pigments and bird feathers are still attached to the piece's outer edge. (Hamson 2005)

Provenance:
Michael Hamson, Palos Verdes Estates, 2005