LOWER SEPIK REGION, NEW GUINEA

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Small amulet masks made by the Sepik peoples of New Guinea, particularly from the Middle and Lower Sepik River regions, were not worn over the face like full-sized masks. Instead, they were worn suspended on necklaces, attached to clothing, or carried in personal bundles as protective charms. Believed to house the spirits of ancestors or protective beings, they played important roles in protection both physical and spiritual, ancestral connection, and ritual practice. Their design often echoed the forms of their large ceremonial counterparts, which were used in dances and rituals.

Some of these miniature masks were kept in men’s longhouses or domestic shrines alongside other sacred items. Offerings of food, betel nut, or tobacco might be made to them to maintain good relations with the spirits they represented. When carried away from hallowed places of safekeeping, amulet masks served as a portable, personal embodiment of a clan’s spiritual power. During initiation rites, young men might receive a miniature mask as a signifier of identity.

This fine amulet mask shows a sharp, brooding expression defined by a masterfully composed rhythm of cascading and echoing angles. A view in profile reveals a magnificent shift in form and leaves no doubt regarding the expertise of the carver, as the brow and openwork nose jut dramatically over the thin, finely flattened and stepped lower face. Cast shadows are deepened by a finely textured and earthy patina, magnifying the mask’s gravitas.