Mask

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Culture Kambot

Title Mask

Date Early 20th century

Medium Wood, rattan, clay, cowrie shells, nassa shells, boar tusks, human hair, pearl shell, and and fiber

Dimensions Object: 27 7/8 × 14 1/2 × 5 1/8 in. (70.8 × 36.8 × 13 cm)
Overall: 27 7/8 × 14 1/2 × 5 1/8 in. (70.8 × 36.8 × 13 cm)

Credit Line Raymond and Laura Wielgus Collection, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 2010.6

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About this Work

A dramatic combination of materials and textures, this mask epitomizes two tendencies in the art of New Guinea: the use of a variety of natural, locally available materials and the propensity for powerful, even flamboyant, imagery. On this mask, clay has been modeled over an oval wooden foundation; a basketry border surrounding the foundation probably held feathers, flowers, leaves, or other ephemeral materials. Before the clay dried, shells, tusks, and human hair were embedded in it. The shells and tusks not only create color and texture contrasts with the dark clay and hair, but they also are traditional indicators of wealth and prestige.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Mask | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=2010.6