Mask, Murik Lakes Area, Papua New Guinea

height 21in (53.5cm)

Provenance
Dr. Arthur Bässler Collection, Berlin
Linden Museum, inventory number on back '5734 Ramu, Dr. Bässler'
Wayne Heathcote Oceanic Art, London and New York
Kirby-Kallas Lewis, Lewis Wara Gallery, Seattle
Leon Meizlik Collection, Westchester, New York

Dr. Arthur Bässler was one of the earliest and wealthy collectors in German New Guinea. He made a first stop in German New Guinea at some time between 1887 and 1889. He later traveled in the South Pacific and Australia from 1891 to 1893. During this second period he stayed in New Guinea for the months of April and May 1892. After attempting to place his extensive collections with the Museum fur Völkerkunde in Berlin it seems he finally gave one group of Oceanic material to the King of Württemberg which finally became part of the collections of the Linden Museum. He ultimately was able to give his collections and a lot of money to the Berlin museum which financed the Bässler Archive - the publication of the Berlin Museum which is named after him.

Finely carved in classic elliptical shape with hollowed back and rounded facial plane, the viewer is immediately drawn to the pierced eyes with inlaid shell set deeply below arching brows. The plane of the nose divides the eyes in the center and continues down and curves underneath itself, creating a pierced septum; pierced through at the mouth and top knot for suspension; the back with a mouth bar bound onto the back rim with vegetable fiber; fine, aged light brown/ochre patina with wear indicative of significant use and age.