Yam Mask

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Culture Abelam

Title Yam Mask

Date 1930–1940

Medium Fiber and pigment

Dimensions Object: 13 1/4 × 14 1/4 × 4 3/8 in. (33.7 × 36.2 × 11.1 cm)
Overall: 13 1/4 × 14 1/4 × 4 3/8 in. (33.7 × 36.2 × 11.1 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 63.76

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About this Work

With its precise design this yam mask is an excellent example of such objects which were made for the yam harvest celebrations. An important ceremonial event, the growing and exchange of yams helped to determine a man’s social standing within the community. At the exchange ceremony, both the men and their yams were adorned with masks and other ornamentation. Based upon the size and style of this mask it was almost certainly used to adorn a yam and never worn by a human.

Provenance
More Details

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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Cite this Page
"Yam 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=63.76