Mask
From New Caledonia, Melanesia, possibly 19th or
early 20th century AD
Masks were used in the north and central part
of New Caledonia at the time of European contact, by which time
their use had diminished in the south. There is some uncertainty
about the original role of such masks. They have been associated
with gods and spirits, in particular an evil water spirit. They
symbolize the power of the community leader: a mask was given to
the leader when he attained this rank. Masks were worn as part of
the mourning rituals performed for a dead leader, and were regarded
as a substitute for him in the
ceremony.
The face of this
mask is of carved wood, stained black. The eyes are generally
closed - the wearer would see through the open mouth. The nose is
typically beak-like. The mask is topped with human hair, also used
to form the beard. The hair of male mourners was used for this;
they grew it long, and cut it after the period of mourning. At the
back of the head is a band of plaited vegetable fibre, similar in
construction to the hat worn by men of high rank. A long cloak of
black notou (pigeon)
feathers, probably attached to netting, would have hung from this,
covering the body of the wearer. The wearer carried a club and some
spears.
J. Mack (ed.), Masks: the art of expression (London, The British Museum Press, 1994)
R. Boulay, 'New Caledonia traditional Kanak art' in Arts of the South Seas: the -1 (Prestel Verlag, 1999), pp. 298-302
J.A. McKesson, 'In search of the origins of the New Caledonian mask' in Art and identity in Oceania (Honolulu, University of Hawaii Press, 1990), pp. 84-92