17th Dec, 2024 11:00
Fine Asian Art Holiday Sale
479
A CARVED WOOD MANGAN MASK OF A SPIRIT, BRAG, LOWER SEPIK RIVER
Sold for €1,170
including Buyer's Premium
Papua New Guinea, East Sepik Province. The oval face carved with a serrated beard, the nose and eye orbital area outlined with a shallow raised ridge, the Mangan-bird beak nose touching the face above the round diminutive puckered mouth. The forehead is neatly incised with arched lines, and the edges are perforated for attachment of body costume or raffia.
Provenance: From the private collection of Eduard Credé (1899-1977), Berlin, Germany, and thence by descent.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, traces of use, and natural imperfections including age cracks. Minor chips, small nicks, light scratches, minor losses. The tip of the no. Remnants of ancient pigment. Good patina overall. Displaying exceptionally well.
Dimensions: Length 41.5 cm
Brag masks represent ancestor spirits or mythical beings and have personal names. The spirits of these masks are evoked during important occasions such as the building of a cult house or canoe, or at the initiation of young men. They were even consulted before headhunting raids. After a successful raid, the severed head of the victim was rubbed on the masks so they could drink the blood; the young men likewise drank the blood of the severed head to make them strong and fearless in battle. For such ritual acts, the mask was not attached to a dance costume but to a small frame in the cult house. Brag masks were also used to determine the cause of a person’s illness.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 15 May 2008, lot 534
Price: USD 4,800 or approx. EUR 6,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Lower Sepik mask
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, expression, modeling, and similar curved beak nose. Note the size (33 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 14 November 2013, lot 42
Price: USD 32,500 or approx. EUR 41,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Mangan Mask, Lower Sepik River, Papua New Guinea
Expert remark: Compare the related form and manner of carving with similar Mangan-bird beak nose and arched designs to the forehead. Note the related size (43.2 cm).
Papua New Guinea, East Sepik Province. The oval face carved with a serrated beard, the nose and eye orbital area outlined with a shallow raised ridge, the Mangan-bird beak nose touching the face above the round diminutive puckered mouth. The forehead is neatly incised with arched lines, and the edges are perforated for attachment of body costume or raffia.
Provenance: From the private collection of Eduard Credé (1899-1977), Berlin, Germany, and thence by descent.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, traces of use, and natural imperfections including age cracks. Minor chips, small nicks, light scratches, minor losses. The tip of the no. Remnants of ancient pigment. Good patina overall. Displaying exceptionally well.
Dimensions: Length 41.5 cm
Brag masks represent ancestor spirits or mythical beings and have personal names. The spirits of these masks are evoked during important occasions such as the building of a cult house or canoe, or at the initiation of young men. They were even consulted before headhunting raids. After a successful raid, the severed head of the victim was rubbed on the masks so they could drink the blood; the young men likewise drank the blood of the severed head to make them strong and fearless in battle. For such ritual acts, the mask was not attached to a dance costume but to a small frame in the cult house. Brag masks were also used to determine the cause of a person’s illness.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 15 May 2008, lot 534
Price: USD 4,800 or approx. EUR 6,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Lower Sepik mask
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, expression, modeling, and similar curved beak nose. Note the size (33 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 14 November 2013, lot 42
Price: USD 32,500 or approx. EUR 41,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Mangan Mask, Lower Sepik River, Papua New Guinea
Expert remark: Compare the related form and manner of carving with similar Mangan-bird beak nose and arched designs to the forehead. Note the related size (43.2 cm).
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