Purchased in Melbourne from an artefacts gallery in Collins St in the late 1970s. It was on a whim and the gallery was clearing its stock. It came with no information and no provenance and since it has been in my possession nobody has been able to enlighten me in regard to its origin. It is assumed that it originates somewhere near the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea. Beyond that it's cultural context is a mystery except that it most likely has a ritual significance.
Here it is clearly an example of 'wickery' that has traveled out of context as things do in a globalised world where the EXOTICother had (has?) a particular currency.
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The basketry mask is placed on the gable of the ceremonial house by the people living in the middle Sepik area. Sometimes it is woven as part of the structure. Bateson (Gregory Bateson, 'Social structure of the Iatmul people of the Sepik River', Oceania, 2: 259, 1932), says they are the female personification of the house. It is possible that this object was made for sale but it still appears to embody the best qualities of Sepik River art. It is made of cane, painted red, white and black.
ReplyDeleterevised entry from AJ Tuckson, 'Some Sepik River art from the collection', AGNSW Quarterly, vol 13, no 3, 1972, pg. 671.
Middle Sepik River → East Sepik Province → Papua New Guinea
Cultural origin
Iatmul people
JUNE FACEbook: I may be able to help.. born and raised in the West Sepik, png.... but still those in my life who may be able to help … it is not typical of where I grew up. I don’t recognize it as native to my region. I was raised in Amanab, 25 miles north of Green river, just north of the Sepik river itself. It does however, have a feeling of made for market, but if it’s east Sepik it may be typical of that area, as the people groups were very territorial and would not mix. Not even a few miles if they were not “friendly” with each other.
ReplyDeleteI will ask some of my friends….