This engaging gable mask from the Sawos or Iatmul culture of the Middle Sepik River is made from sago spathe and coconut palm fiber. There are actually two ancestral faces on this mask with the larger, more volumetric face upside down on the top as I have the piece mounted and photographed. I chose to highlight the smaller, more engaging face at the bottom on this mask. The piece comes from a New York private collector and was purchased from an Australian gallery in the 1980s. The gable mask would have adorned the front of a ceremonial house. It is 27" in height, dates to the early/mid 20th century. sold