A POLYCHROME WICKERWORK CEREMONIAL SPIRIT MASK, ASMAT PEOPLE

拍品描述

A POLYCHROME WICKERWORK CEREMONIAL SPIRIT MASK, ASMAT PEOPLE This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005: “No. 545, OK 2002, Papua New Guinea Medicine Man Mask ca. 80 cm h.” Gallery price: EUR 1,400 or approx. EUR 2,300 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. Southwest Papua New Guinea, mid-20th century. Fashioned from woven wicker in a conical form, the front bears three oval openings of more loosely interlaced fibers that, together with a schematic projecting nose, suggest an abstracted human face. Two lateral apertures provide access for the arms, from the edges of which, as well as from the lower edge of the mask, hang long fibers in orange hues. The wicker body is further decorated with alternating red bands and areas of the natural wicker tone, all outlined in black. Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: 111.3 cm The art and religious life of the Asmat people of southwestern New Guinea are closely bound to the spirits of the recently deceased. Among their most important ceremonies is the mask feast, an elaborate sequence of rites culminating in the return of the dead, embodied by performers wearing full-length body masks. Two principal mask types are used. The first, represented by the present example, is a conical mask depicting a legendary orphan and appears in a humorous, theatrical prelude to the main ceremony. The second represents specific deceased individuals, with each mask bearing the name and identity of the person embodied. At the climax of the feast, the masked spirits emerge from the forest and pass through the village, receiving food and hospitality before entering the ceremonial men’s house. There, the living and the dead join in a communal dance lasting late into the night. By the following morning, having been properly honored and sustained, the spirits depart for Safan, the realm of the ancestors. Literature comparison: Compare a related body mask, Indonesia, West Papua New Guinea, Asmat people, mid-20th century, 170.2 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1978.412.1282a. Compare a related ceremonial body mask, Papua New Guinea, Asmat people, 20th century, 191 cm high, in the British Museum, registration number Oc1975,01.1. Compare a related Tumbuan mask, Papua New Guinea, East Sepik Province, c. 1979, 199.5 cm high, in the National Gallery of Victoria, accession number 2013.309.

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