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artist
Mask, 19th century
Wood, hair - human, shell - clam, pigment, seed pods - jacob's tears, fiber
28 3/8 x 10 5/8 x 14 15/16 in.
Gift of Marcia and John Friede 2001.62.8

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Artist Biography: (none) PROVENANCE: Collected by Rev. Samuel MacFarlane; Gerrard's auction 1887; Staatlichen Museums für Völkerkunde, Dresden 6.396 (before 1889). "Collected by Samuel MacFarlane, of the London Missionary Society, in the 1870s. E. Gerrard auction; Staatlichen Museums für Völkerkunde, Dresden (before 1889); Walter Randel Collection, New York." (Catalog #498, New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, 2005, Volume 2, p. 169.) EXHIBITIONS: 2005 - New Guinea Art. Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede. De Young Museum, San Francisco, 2005. 1984 - Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1984, "Primitivism in 20th Century Art." PUBLICATIONS: 2009 FAM Bulletin entry (unabridged) - "Although the turtle shell masks of the Torres Straits are particularly known, wooden masks are found in areas where turtles are less common. (1) This mask was probably used during harvest ceremonies to ensure that the soil would be productive in the future. (2) The structure behind the mask suggests that it may have been attached to an architectural structure rather than worn. The carved wooden form of a human face is adorned with hair and ear ornaments. Inlaid shell has been used for eyes. This mask also comes from Mabuiag Island in the Torres Strait and was collected by Reverend Samuel MacFarlane." FOOTNOTES (1) Moore, 1989, 25. (2) Mariana Babia, quoted in Philip, 2001, 12. 2005 - "Although the art of the Torres Strait Islands is particularly known for masks made of turtle shell, the masks from the northern part of the area however "are generally made of wood, probably because turtles are less common in the muddy Papuan waters..." (Moore, 1989: 25). This does not necessarily mean that the wooden masks, which have the shape of an "elongated human fiace" (ibid.), were used in a similar manner and context as the turtle shell ones (see pl. 500 and 502). Most of the Saibai masks with faces similar to this one, called bukwama - buk means "mask" and wama refers to the harvest ceremony - were worn, using a stick behind the mask which was clasped in the teeth of the dancer. The structure behind this mask, however, suggests it could not be worn and may have been an architectural ornament. Masks of this type were employed in ceremonies related to the "harvesting of crops like sweet potato, yam, cassava and taro" in order "to ensure the soil would yield more crops" (Mariana Babia, quoted in Philip, 2001: 12; for comparable and different wood masks, see Fraser, 1978, pl. 21-42." (Catalog #498, New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, 2005, Volume 2, p. 169.) 1984 - Rubin, 1984: 108. 1889 - Meyer, 1889, fig. 7.

Related Keywords
Gift 169 p 2 Volume 2005 Friede John Marcia Jolika Masterpieces Art Guinea 498 Catalog York New Randel Walter Gerrard E 1870s Society Missionary London 1889 396 6 Dresden V*lkerkunde fŸr Museums Staatlichen 1887 auction Gerrard's MacFarlane Samuel Rev by Collected speakers language Ya Lagaw Kala Oceania Strait Torres Australia Sculpture fiber tears jacob's pods seed pigment clam Wood worn than rather architectural an attached may suggests mask behind structure eyes used been shell Inlaid ornaments ear hair adorned face human form wooden carved 2002041714170013 A355929 2001.62.8 AOA