Papua New Guinea

GOURD MASK, papua New Guinea Highlands, PNG

GOURD MASK, papua New Guinea Highlands, PNG
GOURD MASK, papua New Guinea Highlands, PNG
GOURD MASK, papua New Guinea Highlands, PNG
GOURD MASK, papua New Guinea Highlands, PNG
GOURD MASK, papua New Guinea Highlands, PNG
GOURD MASK, papua New Guinea Highlands, PNG
GOURD MASK, papua New Guinea Highlands, PNG

GOURD MASK, papua New Guinea Highlands, PNG

Papua New Guinea Highlands, PNG. This mask would have left PNG in 1960s or the latest in the 1970s. Early masks were collected by Stan Moriarty, a famous.

Sydney collector, and most of his Highland collection is now in the Art Gallery of NSW. This is not a Moriarty mask, but by the 1970s. They had ceased to be made and used. Missionary activity supressed a lot of these Highland ceremonies that adored spirits. Cut from an old gourd, and painted with earth pigments, with very basic facial features modelled using resin and pig teeth. It has simple cut-out eyes and mouth. These masks are said to represent spirits, from the bush or mountains and they were worn. Size: 22 cm (length) 13.3 cm (width) 9 cm (depth). Weight: 563 grams (with stand).
GOURD MASK, papua New Guinea Highlands, PNG