Description & Technical information
An extrordinary mask representing the head of a Papuan frogmouth (Podargus papuensis). The mask was worn in-front of the face and held by a cross-bar clenched in the dancers teeth.
The Papuan Frogmouth is actually a nocturnal bird that belongs to a family called Nightjars. It is the largest Frogmouth of its type reaching up to 60 cm in length and a master of disguise with incredible camouflage skills as their mottled brown, grey and beige patterned feathers, blend seamlessly into tree bark.
Boiken Area, North of the Mouth of the Sepik River, PNG, Melanesia.
Period: 20th century
Origin: Melanesia
Medium: Woven cane, wood and various layers of traditional pigments
Dimensions: 32.5 x 34.5 x 28 cm (12³/₄ x 13⁵/₈ x 11 inches)
Provenance: Collected in the field by Michael Hamson. No other early and used mask of this type is presently recorded however an overmodeled Papuan frogmouth skull (previously identified as that of a Harpy eagle) is known from the Iatmul area (see Meyer, 1995, fig. 416, p. 382). Ex coll. : Gal. Meyer, Paris ; Dr. & Mme. Capier, France.
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Galerie Meyer-Oceanic Art
Tribal Art dealer specializing in early Oceanic Art since 1980 and archaic Eskimo Art since 2010
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