Mask

This mask, with its deep set eyes and strong, hooked nose, is the embodiment of an ancestor spirit from Manam Island, located at the mouth of the Ramu River just off the northern coast of New Guinea. It used to be adorned with shell jewelry in its pierced ears and nose, demonstrating respect for the ancestor. Worn as part of a larger fiber costume, the mask was held in front of the face with a bite stick, still present on this example, which was clamped in the wearer's teeth.