Mask

Sulka artist

20th century

Plant fibers, pigment, feathers, pith, wood

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A woven mask in pink, yellow, and black depicts a creature with a snake emerging from its torso. The mask has black feather accents and appears to be made of plant fibers. Originally a strong red, now faded to a refined pink, this rare mask was created by an artist of the Sulka of New Britain, an island northwest of Australia. Although its large ears resemble those of an animal, the mask depicts a human, likely an older man. The addition of a python, an important ritual animal shown curving along the back of the head and out through the mouth, demonstrates spiritual strength. Likely used in initiation ceremonies, the mask is made of strips of springy pith from the inside of a reed, sewn down onto a basketry frame. This unusual construction technique is not employed anywhere else in the Pacific Islands