109 - Ancient Mask

Ancient Mask Soft wood eroded by time and the elements, showing signs of age and faint traces of white pigment. Tabar Islands, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. H: 38 cm This mask features an elongated face with clean lines. The wide-open eyes are highlighted by a raised outline. The slightly parted mouth lends this work a powerful expressiveness. In the Tabar Islands, masks play an important role in Malagan ceremonies, which honor the deceased and accompany their transition to the status of ancestors. They help preserve and pass down memory and traditions within the community. Provenance: Former collection of Professor Jean Bienaymé. François de Ricqlès auction, collection of Professor Jean Bienaymé, March 25, 2001, lot 82. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. L. Cornette de Saint Cyr auction, November 17, 2020, lot 387. Yves Créhalet Collection, Paris. General Bibliography: Michael Gunn and Philippe Peltier (eds.), New Ireland: Arts of the South Pacific, Paris, Musée du Quai Branly; Milan, 5 Continents, 2007. Brigitte Derlon, *Of Memory and Oblivion: An Anthropology of Malanggan Objects from New Ireland*, Paris, CNRS Éditions and Éditions de la Maison des sciences de l’homme, 1997.