Early Papua New Guinea Sepik Wood Yam Mask Yellow Red and Black on Custom Base

Early Papua New Guinea Sepik River area tightly woven raffia yam mask with areas of heavy yellow and black pigments. In profile small bird beak form at bottom...

Early Papua New Guinea Sepik tightly woven raffia mask from a talipun bride price currency piece. Old very encrusted surface. Areas of red and other pigments. Wonderful heart shaped...

A pair of Papua New Guinea yam festival masks from the mid 20th century. These vintage ceremonial masks, also referred to as a baba mask, originate from the Abelam people, along the ...

A mid-20th century large ceremonial initiation mask likely by the Iatmul people of the middle Sepik River region of Papua New Guinea, located between the Blackwater River and Karawari River in East Sepik Province. Impressively sized and well executed fantastical bird-like form with a 20-inch-long beak or nose and wide-open mouth, comprised of tightly hand-woven wicker basketry over a bent wood frame. Darkened surface is hand-painted with black, white, and salmon-colored natural earth pigment details and shapes. A copper-colored, hand-knotted raffia fringe embellishes nearly the entire perimeter of the piece. A fluffy tuft of cassowary feathers decorates the tip of the beak or nose, while a few more cassowary feathers remain at the top of the head. Opening on underside is 9.5 inches in diameter. Papua New Guinean masks...