Mask

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Culture Murik

Title Mask (Brag)

Date Unknown

Medium Wood with traces of pigment

Dimensions Object: 16 × 4 1/4 × 5 1/2 in. (40.6 × 10.8 × 14 cm)
Overall (includes mount): 20 1/4 × 4 1/4 × 5 1/2 in. (51.4 × 10.8 × 14 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 80.64

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About this Work

Masks played a central role in the spiritual life of people in the Sepik River region historically and in some cases still do today. As such, there is great variety in the forms and types of masks created. Representing an ancestral spirit, this stone cut mask was created with a red pigment and bird-like features, as is typical for the form. The reference to birds is related to totemic birds and the idea that birds can act as intermediaries between the the spiritual and human worlds. In addition to its bird-like features, this mask also has a small bird figure in the center of its forehead.

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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This artwork is currently on view.

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Cite this Page
"Mask | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=80.64