Yam Mask

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Culture Abelam

Title Yam Mask

Date 20th century

Medium Fiber and pigment

Dimensions Object: 18 1/8 × 9 5/8 × 5 1/4 in. (46 × 24.4 × 13.3 cm)
Overall: 18 1/8 x 9 5/8 x 5 1/4 in. (46 x 24.4 x 13.3 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 71.13.2

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About this Work

Successfully growing extraordinarily large yams - some of which might be as long as twelve feet - is a traditional way for an Abelam man to achieve high social status. Each man exchanges his yams with a partner, always with the goal of presenting larger yams than he is offered. During the presentation ceremonies, men adorn their yams in ceremonial regalia, including specially made masks, such as the one shown here.

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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"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=71.13.2