Eastern Highlands Wood Dance Mask-New Guinea Art-Oceanic Art
I recently acquired this amazing mask from a collection in Phoenix that had been in storage for nearly 50 years. It comes from the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea and is carved from wood with paint and has a fluffy beard of dried fern material. Notice the wax nose and the dangling projection with a sharp spine attached that would have bobbed around when danced. The mask dates to the mid 20th century, is 14” (35.6 cm) in height and sells for $4800.