Mask (Rom)
Arts of the Pacific Islands
The prismatic form of this striking mask is characteristic of rom masks from Ambrym Island in Vanuatu. It is made of fiber and cane thickly plastered with a vegetable paste and painted in the bright and unusual color combinations characteristic of these islands. Long fiber "hair" is fixed to the sides and base of the mask. Such masks are part of an elaborate system of masks and hats worn by members of the secret men's organizations that regulate almost all aspects of social life in Vanuatu. Each grade or rank within these societies has its own mask type. When they are in use, the masks are believed to provide a temporary resting place for the spirits of immediate ancestors, most specifically, the grandfather.
MEDIUM
Palm spathe, bamboo, coconut fiber, hemp, pigment
DATES
19th century
DIMENSIONS
37 3/4 × 8 × 9 in. (95.9 × 20.3 × 22.9 cm)
storage (custom blueboard storage box): 13 × 15 × 41 in. (33 × 38.1 × 104.1 cm)
(show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER
86.229.5
CREDIT LINE
Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs Melville W. Hall
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Mask. Palm spathe, bamboo, coir, hemp, pigment. Diamond-shaped human face, painted white, blue, black, and traces of red; visor-like eyebrows; large attached nose, open, upturned mouth. Long, thick, twisted tendrils of raffia hang from all sides. Armature visible from behind.
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Ambrym. Mask (Rom), 19th century. Palm spathe, bamboo, coconut fiber, hemp, pigment, 37 3/4 × 8 × 9 in. (95.9 × 20.3 × 22.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs Melville W. Hall, 86.229.5. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 86.229.5_SL1.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 86.229.5_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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