**Originally Listed At $300**

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Middle Sepik River region, Washkuk area, ca. early 20th century CE. A remarkable redware mask, perhaps representing an ancestor, handmade to feature an annular visage, a hooked nose, and coffee-bean shaped eyes. The intriguing visage's petite mouth is curved downwards in a frown, as two ovoid nodules, possibly representing ears or horns, protrude from the top of its head. A lovely pattern of incised dotted lines and concentric circles decorates the mask, with some circles encompassing certain features such as the eyes, mouth, and top nodules. The visage's prominent nose is pierced horizontally, possibly for suspending ornaments made of feathers, shells, and other objects. There is a drill hole at the top of the round face, so that it may be hung up as decoration. Size: 4.9" W x 5.5" H (12.4 cm x 14 cm); 8.5" H (21.6 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-private lifetime collection of Dr. Saul Tuttman and Dr. Gregory Siskind, New York, New York, USA, acquired in the 1980s

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#161334

Several stable hairline fissures across verso, with light encrustations, and very light softening to some facial details on obverse, otherwise intact and very good. Great preservation to facial details. Old inventory label on verso.