Oceanic Art - Mask Enlargement

This classic Lower Ramu River mask comes from the collection of Isabel Pert who purchased the piece in the 1950s while living in Madang, Papua New Guinea. Such masks would have been attached to tall cane superstructures and represented ancestral spirits. This example shows substantial age and field use with a well worn bite stick on the reverse and a good, aged patina. The piece has layers of traditional red ochres and porcelain trade rings around the eyes (such rings were traded into the area in the late 19th and early 20th century as a form of currency). The mask is 16 ½" in height, dates to the early 20th century, comes with a custom rotating pedestal. sold