Post #401064 by OceaOtica on Wed, Aug 13, 2008 12:54 PM

On 2008-08-12 21:35, brokeassbuilder wrote:
my finds the past two weeks i dont no for sure if the mask is maori or not any one see anything similar it 12inches by 16

Looks to be a PNG mask from the Sepik Region. Looks most reminiscent of the style of Kanganamon or Shapmeri. Probably a commercial one, which does not detract as most of the pieces I have picked up over the years are too. Not to common to find one that is just a burnished wood, with no earth pigment paints or forced aged patina. May be the flash on your pic, but it appears that that piece is a hard wood, a lot of carvings that come out of PNG are carved from softer wods, unlike say Samoan Ironwood, and it is common for them to crack over time. I looked back and they commonly have tongues sticking out, and place circles around what would be a cheek. Nice score!

Was at Oceanic Arts earlier this morning and saw a very similar mask they sell, the wood looking almost identical. I wonder if this is an older version of one of their decor masks from a bar/restaurant in your area?

[ Edited by: oceaotica 2008-08-15 17:28 ]