Mask - Bas Sepik - Papua New Guinea

Ceremonial mask – Lower Sepik – Papua New Guinea

An ancient, powerful mask from the Lower Sepik region, one of Papua New Guinea's major artistic centers, renowned for the radicality of its forms and the symbolic power of its ritual productions.

This mask is distinguished by a deliberately asymmetrical and enveloping architecture, where the face seems to emerge from a peripheral painted structure, almost protective. The bulbous forehead, the narrow and deeply incised eyes, and the long triangular nose give the overall expression a contained yet penetrating quality, characteristic of masks associated with ancestral cults and the ritual societies of the Sepik.

The remnants of polychromy, notably the red, ochre, and whitened geometric motifs visible on the side extensions, attest to an ancient ceremonial use. These colors, applied using natural pigments, contributed to the symbolic activation of the object during rituals, in a context of mediation between the world of the living and the world of spirits.

The deep patina, the old wear, and the faint cracks in the wood attest to a long history of use and exposure to traditional ritual conditions. This type of mask was typically worn or displayed during important community ceremonies related to initiation, fertility, or the protection of the group.

A rare and expressive object, emblematic of the radical aesthetics of the Lower Sepik, where sculpture does not seek seduction but visual and spiritual impact.

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