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Basketry mask, Baba, early 20th century
Basketry made from the stem of lygodium (a climbing vine), mud, pigment, cassowary feathers, human hair
35.6 x 26.7 x 33 cm (14 x 10 1/2 x 13 in.)
The Marcia and John Friede Collection, a Promised Gift to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco L05.1.188

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Artist Biography: (none) PROVENANCE: "Serge Brignoni Collection, Bern, Switzerland." (Catalog #305, New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, 2005, Volume 2, p. 133.) PUBLICATIONS: 2005 - "In Wosera, these masks represented grotesque female spirits who chased away non-initiates and women and children, during preparations of male initiation rituals connected with the yam cult. The also behaved in a threatening and violent manner toward the initiates (see Hauser-Schäublin, 1989, fig. 94). Usually each clan owned two such masks, a male mask (vi-baba) and a female mask (naram-baba). These masks were not only used by a masquerader but could also be displayed in a yam storage hut, in front of the spirit house, or in a hut near the yam gardens to promote the growth of the sacred yams. Anthony Forge (1973: 171) stated baba masks are the public or junior counterparts of the ngwalndu images, the same relationship that the Iatmul mwai masks have to the secret wagan spirits. See pl. 167." (Catalog #305, New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection of Marcia and John Friede, 2005, Volume 2, p. 133.)

Related Keywords
Baba mask Francisco San Museums Arts Fine Gift Promised 133 p 2 Volume 2005 Friede John Marcia Jolika Masterpieces Art 305 Catalog Switzerland Bern Brignoni Serge subgroup Wosera people Abelam Oceania Province Sepik East Guinea New Papua Melanesia Sculpture hair human feathers cassowary pigment mud vine climbing lygodium stem made Basketry 0709200406050179 A361103 L05.1.188 AOA