New Ireland Mask

new-ireland-mask.jpg

Dublin Core

Title

New Ireland Mask

Description

This mask, used in funerary ceremonial dances, is made primarily of wood and plant fibers. The unique design of the face, including the broad, hooked nose, the large mouth and the impressive teeth, signify the elements of masculine beauty aspired to by New Ireland men. The mask is used to take on the representation of an ancestor or a deceased relative. The helmet of the mask represents a coiffure, or hairstyle, worn by the men during periods of mourning. To perform this ceremony, men grew out their hair, shaved the sides and then painted the skin white with lime when the time came for the ceremony. While men no longer wear the funerary coiffure, the ritual lives on in the form of these masks made to represent idealized male ancestors dressed for the mourning ritual.

Source

Maisch, Charles O.

Contributor

Curated by Annemarie Nicholson

Format

wood, fiber, textile, shell

Type

Image

Identifier

1916.1.41 LA

Coverage

New Ireland

About the Original Item

Date Added
May 2, 2011
Collection
Fleming Museum
Item Type
Image
Citation
“New Ireland Mask,” Omeka@CTL, accessed March 28, 2024, http://libraryexhibits.uvm.edu/omeka/items/show/592.
Associated Files