A Rare New Guinea Woven & Shell Mask Bogia area Madang Province Papua New Guinea

A Rare New Guinea Woven & Shell Mask is from the Bogia area of Madang Province in Papua New Guinea

The remote region of Bogia, is located between the right bank of the lower Ramu and the mountainous chain known as Adelbert Range, there are few examples of art from this area, this rare type of mask covers the face similar to a wood mask but because it is woven part of the masked dancer’s facial features blend into this beautiful & rare type of mask.

This Mask is finely woven with tree bark fibre string and then decorated with small white Nassa and Cowrie Shells that are stitched onto the front of the mask. A nose ornament and ochre colours complete the mask’s visual effect.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of New Guinea Art & Oceanic Art.

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & Art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery.  I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com  where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours.