Dance mask

Like most masks from the mouths of the Sepik or Ramu rivers, this ancient mask made in the early 20th century has holes around the perimeter for attaching a dance costume. The holes here are unusually rectangular. According to Chris Boylan, the mask is associated with the moon, and its use in ceremonial dances is linked to marriage. Oval shape with large forehead. Phallic nose. This elegant dance mask belongs to the Ramu River stylistic area, although the naturalism of its features and the softness of its volumes make it somewhat different from the highly expressionistic and stylized creations typical of the region. The face, inscribed in a perfect oval with a rounded surface, features a long, slightly arched nose sculpted in high relief, following the curve of the face, whose hemmed nostrils are strongly pierced. The subtle asymmetry of the almond-shaped eyes, hollowed out and set in sunken orbital cavities, and the rictus of the mouth with its upturned corners, give this mask a captivating, expressive presence. The rounded edge of the headdress meets at the center of the forehead in a small, pointed tip. The ears – signified by two vertical elements framing the upper part of the face, and the perimeter of the mask, are pierced with notches, which were intended to hang various costumes and ornaments. The top of the skull is extended by a pierced tenon for hanging the mask when not in use.