A Superb Old Ceremonial House Gable Mask Middle Sepik River Area Papua New Guinea

This superb old Gable Mask was made to put under the eves of the front facade of a large Ceremonial House Tambaran from where it looked out over the village. These large and impressive ceremonial houses are a major architectural wonder for which the middle Sepik River area is famous. This finely carved and ochre-painted mask is made from a single piece of hardwood and it has shell eyes. This Mask is a powerful artwork that shows the great artistry of Sepik River artists’

Provenance: Collected in 1965-1966 by the Geologist Peter Austin. Part of Austin’s collection was sold to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and published in the book “New Guinea: Big Man Island” by ES Rogers, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto Canada 1970 where they remain today but Austin kept the finest artworks for his own collection like this Gable Mask until later the collection was sold to me. 

The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic Art

See the photo above of an example of the Middle Sepik River ceremonial house Tambaran from  “Kulthauser in Nordneuguinea by Brigitta Hauser-Schaublin, Page 401.”

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