Artifact Record Details
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Basic Information |
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| Artifact Identification | Spirit Figure with Mask (2004.17.0249) | |
| Classification | Communication Artifacts : Ceremonial Artifact : N/A | |
| Visual Description | Carved wooden male figure wearing a mask, nassa shell eyes, on a base, painted black, white, reddish orange, and beige. The face is mostly painted with beige, along with forehead, cheeks, and eyes. The decorations around the eyes are semi-circular, with white paintings inside the semi circles. There are orange rims along the eyes and nose. The top of the forehead and nose, as well as the legs and the base are painted black. The eyes are off white colored shells. There is a large crack in the base, showing light brown wood. There is a raised area from the forehead to the nose, and the on the chin. There is a crack on one side of the face, along the eye. | |
| Artist/Maker | None | |
| Geographic Location | Oceania--Melanesia, Independent State of Papua New Guinea, Middle Sepik River | |
| Period/Date | ||
| Culture | Melanesian | |
| Locality/Archaeological Site | ||
Physical Analysis |
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| Dimension 1 (Length) | 27.5 cm | |
| Dimension 2 (Depth) | 6.2 cm | |
| Dimension 3 (Width) | 5.5 cm | |
| Weight | 100 g | |
| Measuring Remarks | From Logan Museum: 28.5x6.7x6.3 cm. | |
| Materials | Animal--Shell, Pigment, Wood | |
| Manufacturing Processes | Adhering, Assembling, Carving, Dyeing, Painting | |
| Munsell Color Information | N/A | |
Research Remarks |
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| Published Description | N/A | |
| Scholarly Notes | "Ramu River and Sepik spirit figures: Smallish figures. One or two resemble the kinds of design shown on flute stoppers in Melanesian Images page 33. See our 2004-00491 and 480. 2004-00481 is a spirit figure wearing a mask. See also Sepik figure 2004-00493 – ornamentation resembles some of masks. And a figure similar to our figure 2004-00492 is identified as a masked figure in Ethnography and Art of Oceania. " - Janet Dixon Keller, Oceania Curator, 7/30/2007 Carved wooden male figure wearing a mask, nassa shell eyes, on a base, painted black, white, and orange. Provenience as per G. Ulrich 8/8/03. Logan Museum, 9/2004. | |
| Comparanda | N/A | |
| Bibliography | N/A | |
Artifact History |
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| Archaeological Data | N/A | |
| Credit Line/Dedication | The Virginia M. and James D. Tobin Collection, Purchased from the Logan Museum of Anthropology, Beloit College | |
| Reproduction | N/A | |
| Reproduction Information | N/A | |