Fiber Polychrome Mask Yam Ancestor Papua New Guinea

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A well preserved Yam Ancestor mask professionally presented on a museum quality acrylic display stand. The mask was a classic … Read more A well preserved Yam Ancestor mask professionally presented on a museum quality acrylic display stand. The mask was a classic tribal art piece from Abelam people who live in Maprik area of the Mid Sepik River region in Papua New Guinea. Yam is the main agricultural produce and a major food resource for the communities. As a result, many rituals and ceremonies developed around the planting, cultivating and harvesting yams. The mask was woven in a specific style and heavily painted with ochre and other earth pigments to depict the yam ancestor who is believed to dwell in the plants. Such masks are integral to the "Yam" culture and widely used in the dancing ceremonies.
The mask is small but very well made. It retains a deep surface patina that shows rubbing and crackle caking of the pigments, indicating that it was used in the field before being collected. It was sewn onto the acrylic stand so that it appears floating in the air. See less