MASQUE, RIVIÈRE RAMU, PROVINCE DE MADANG, PAPOUASIE-NOUVELLE-GUINÉE |

Masque, Rivière Ramu, Province de Madang, Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée

Collection John et Marcia Friede, New York
Michael Hamson, Palos Verdes
Collection Elizabeth Pryce, Sydney

Hamson, Oceanic Art, 2014, p. 32-33, n° 14

Very good condition overall. Chips, scratches, marks and abrasions throughout consistent with the object’s age and use within the culture. Wear and minor insect damage to the protruding element below chin and chin. Good preservation of the red pigment which is encrusted and flaking to the pigment and wood in places. Small labels bearing Elizabeth Pryce collection inv. no. EP-69 and Michael Hamson number MHM-155 on reverse of mask.
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Les masques sculptés représentant des humains sont omniprésents dans les cultures matérielles de la Nouvelle-Guinée, en particulier dans la partie orientale, sur les berges des fleuves Sepik et Ramu. Ils varient grandement en termes de taille, chacun ayant sa propre utilisation; la plupart sont rarement portés. Les masques de la région du fleuve Ramu sont généralement de forme ovale, l’accent étant mis sur le nez, épais et bulbeux, souvent très long et se rattachant parfois au menton. Dans ce masque, les yeux sont creusés dans une zone en relief en forme de cœur. L’arrête du nez est étroite et se prolonge jusqu'à une pointe bulbeuse qui, en référence aux pratiques traditionnelles, a le septum percé. Des saillies à reliefs variables entourent les yeux et le pourtour du visage, caractéristique classique des masques de la région du fleuve Ramu. La protubérance visible sous le menton du masque était probablement utilisée pour fixer des joncs ou des fibres, ou d'autres objets, et le trou au sommet du masque aurait permis de le suspendre lorsqu'il n'était pas utilisé.

Ce masque présente des yeux et une bouche percés, ainsi que des trous pratiqués sur le côté du masque, permettant de fixer une baguette horizontale à l’arrière, ce qui indique qu’il aurait été porté lors de cérémonies. Dorota Czarkowska Starzecka écrit, à propos d’un masque de style apparenté conservé dans les collections du British Museum, qu’il était « utilisé dans les cérémonies d’initiation » (« Masks in Oceania » Masks: the Art of Expression, 1996, p.73). Pendant la danse, le masque représentait ou incarnait un être surnaturel spécifique ou un ancêtre du clan. Cette présence surnaturelle était renforcée par l'accompagnement oratoire, musical et chorégraphique qui caractérisent les cérémonies très dynamiques de la Nouvelle-Guinée. La couleur rouge obtenue par des applications successives de pigments, croûteuse par endroits, témoigne du grand âge de ce masque.

Pour un masque similaire provenant de la province de Madang, voir New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection, volume 2, cat. No. 131

Masks constructed from the human image are pervasive within the material cultures of New Guinea, particularly to the eastern part around the Sepik and Ramu rivers. They masks appear in a huge range of sizes, each has its own particular use; most are rarely worn.

Masks from the Ramu River region are typically oval shaped, with an emphasis on the nose which is thick and bulbous, often very long, occasionally connecting to the chin. In this mask, the eyes nest in an area of heart shaped relief which runs from the nostrils upwards, the bridge of the nose is narrow and extends down to a bulbous tip, which in reference to traditional practices, is pierced through the septum. Ridges of variating relief bracket the eyes and the circumference of the face, a common feature in masked of the Ramu River region. The protruding knob under the chin of the mask would likely have been used for bindings of can or fibre, or attachment of other objects and the hole to the top of the mask would have allowed the mask to be hung when not in use.

The present mask displays pierced eyes and mouth, and pierced holes to the side of the mask which attach a horizontal stick in place to the reverse, indicating that it would have been worn during ceremony (the stick to the reverse would have been held in in the mouth of the dancer to hold the mask in place). Dorota Czarkowska Starzecka writes about a similar style mask in the collection of the British Museum that it was “used in initiation ceremonies” (“Masks in Oceania” Masks: the Art of Expression, 1996, p.73) During the dance, the mask would be represent or embody a particular supernatural being or a clan ancestor. Although the mask is not naturalistically representative of a human, its stylistic features endow it with a supernatural presence, strengthened by the accompaniment of oratory, music and dance which characterise the dynamic ceremonies of New Guinea. The striking red colour built by many layers of pigment application, is encrusted in places and attests to the great age of the mask.

For a similar mask from the Madang province see New Guinea Art: Masterpieces from the Jolika Collection, volume 2, cat. No. 131