BAS-MOYEN SEPIK, Papua New Guinea. - Lot 82

BAS-MOYEN SEPIK, Papua New Guinea. Mask featuring a surreal face. The long, plunging nose in the shape of a spade structures the composition and extends like a stylized head. The crescent-shaped open mouth lends a gentle, playful expressiveness. The center of the forehead is embellished with a stylized zoomorphic protuberance, reinforcing the figure's composite appearance. Hardwood, remnants of yellow, red, black and white ochre pigments, wear marks. Height Height : 38 cm In the Lower and Middle Sepik regions, long-nosed, spade-shaped masks are generally associated with spirit figures rather than ancestors. Their deliberately expressive iconography reflects a fluid conception of the invisible world. This type of mask could be worn, without excluding a ritual function linked to ceremonial houses.