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THB1940s PNG Sepik Iatmul Tambaran Mask w/ Cowrie Shells
Lot 3
About Seller
Artemis Fine Arts
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$800 - $1,200
Starting Bid
$400
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Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Fine Arts
Aug 22, 2025
Set Reminder
2025-08-22 10:00:00
2025-08-22 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Indigenous Art - Ralph T. Coe Center, Santa Fe, NM
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/indigenous-art---ralph-t-coe-center-santa-fe-nm-20324
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
View Full Catalog (452)
- Lot Description
Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Sepik River, Iatmul People, ca. 1940s CE. A striking long-nosed Tambaran spirit mask from the Iatmul people of the Middle Sepik River region, carved from a single piece of lightweight wood and decorated with traditional ochre, white, and black pigments. The elongated form is dominated by a sharply projecting beak-like nose extending well beyond the chin, a feature symbolizing the predatory bird spirits associated with clan totems and male initiation rites. The high, domed forehead is covered in fine dotted patterns, culminating in concentric circle motifs that may reference celestial or ancestral symbolism. Deeply recessed almond-shaped eyes are inlaid with cowrie shells, their lustrous surfaces adding a luminous, otherworldly intensity to the gaze, framed by softly contoured brows edged in red pigment. Size: 3.9" L x 5.5" W x 26.5" H (9.9 cm x 14 cm x 67.3 cm)
Such masks were used in the Tambaran (spirit house) during important ceremonial events, including male initiation, ancestral veneration, and social storytelling performances. Representing powerful supernatural beings, these masks embodied both protective and disciplinary forces within the community. The pointed, avian features served to link the human realm with the spirit world, while the polychrome decoration reinforced clan identity and mythological associations.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, purchased in April 1994; ex-James Economos Works of Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, collected before 1947; ex-Northeastern USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#196384Some nicks, abrasions, and areas of old, inactive insect damage, but otherwise, intact and excellent with impressive pigments.Condition
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