Description:

Two Fine Old Talipun Bride Price Masks in the form of totemic birds, Yangoru Area, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, Together with a Small Old Abelam Yam Mask,
the Yangoru people live in the isolated southern slopes of the Prince Alexander Mountains in the East Sepik Province of Papuan New Guinea. The Talipun is one of the most unique and beautiful types of traditional currency; it consists of a fibre mask attached to a green turban sea shell (shells missing on these but I think the woven masks are more beautiful without the distraction of the shell).

The woven fibre mask (often in different forms) represents ancestral & or bush spirits that are specific to certain clans. The Far-right example is a rare double Bird Heads.

These masks were highly valued in the traditional ceremonies involving payments to families for wedding dowries. They have similarities to the better-known woven Yam masks but these are much rarer.

Provenance:
Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic Art

  • Dimensions: H 13 - 26 cm

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August 9, 2022 6:00 PM AEST
Stanmore, Australia

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