A Superb Old New Guinea Abelam Helmet Mask East Sepik Province Papua New Guinea

A Superb Old New Guinea Abelam Helmet Mask, East Sepik Province Papua New Guinea

In Abelam society, a man’s social status was determined not only by his abilities as an orator or warrior but was additionally measured by his success in cultivating and growing “long yams”. Abelam religious life centred around a complex cycle of male initiation associated with the growth and ceremonial exchange of these long yams; massive tubers commonly attaining lengths of nine to twelve feet. Their cultivation was a sacred activity, surrounded by magic and ritual restrictions and was guided under the patronage of wapinyan, beings who were manifestations of the powerful clan spirits known as nggwalndu, whose carved images were central to the male initiation cycle. The enormous yams were regarded not merely as tubers, but rather as living supernatural beings with humanlike qualities, able to hear and smell, but lacking the powers of movement and speech. During the initiation rites, the yams were essentially transformed into ornate anthropomorphic images, decorated in the manner of men in full ceremonial regalia.

Wooden Abelam helmet masks or mi babakumbu, are extremely rare, and their function is more elusive and not as well understood in contrast to the more common and familiar wickerwork masks that served to adorn the long yams. A single example was photographed in an Abelam cult house in 1953 by the Swiss anthropologist Paul Wirz. That mask was said to have been used during the nggwalndu maira rituals, associated with the highest stages of initiation of the yam ceremonies and represented spirits of powerful clan ancestors.

Apart from their function in ceremonial dances, these masks would also have been displayed in one of the smaller huts besides the cult house used for ceremonial purposes or temporarily placed in the ceremonial grounds or amei, located in front of the cult house, for yam magic.

The surface of the mask is adorned with painted motifs of red and yellow ochre, and the pigments of the mask are multilayered, indicating this cherished mask was repainted during successive initiation ceremonies over several generations.

Provenance:  Old Collection Australia. The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic Papua New Guinea 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 in 1996 (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.

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