Mask
Arts of the Pacific Islands
MEDIUM
Wood, fiber, pigment, shell
DATES
20th century
DIMENSIONS
13 1/4 x 5 x 3 1/8 in. (33.7 x 12.7 x 7.9 cm) (show scale)
MARKINGS
Markings on the reverse in black ink are: '5882', 'I.P. 5882/Ramu/Dr. Bessler'; in blue crayon: 'M---'.
COLLECTIONS
Arts of the Pacific Islands
ACCESSION NUMBER
87.218.8
CREDIT LINE
Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Small carved wooden mask of avian/human head with very long beaklike nose with protrusion at end and ridge down center. Narrow slit eyes. Red pigment around eyes and continuing down end of nose. Small mouth. White and tan pigment in design of two concentric circles on forehead. Plaited fiber border lashed to holes around perimeter of mask. Basketry woven border is attached to holes drilled into the perimeter of the mask. There are tufts of brittle straw-like fiber near the eyes at either side of top of forehead. Tassels of small hanging pieces of fiber and shell attached to holes in sides of nose and under nose. Two of these also have a piece of shell attached. There is a twisted fiber hanging loop at the top of the mask and small shell bottom on the proper left nostril.
Condition: Object is fragile. Some losses of fiber on basketry border; remaining fiber fragile. Some pigment losses. Overall wear.
According to accession card, Shell button at proper left nostril is broken. On posterior, "5882" and "I.C. 5882, Ramu, Dr. Bassler" are painted on in black. Monofilament and wire attached. Shellac on hole at top back. Illegible scribbling in blue.
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Mask, 20th century. Wood, fiber, pigment, shell, 13 1/4 x 5 x 3 1/8 in. (33.7 x 12.7 x 7.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 87.218.8. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 87.218.8_bw.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 87.218.8_bw.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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