I enjoy the subtle changes the inland people make to the classic Sepik Coastal Mask. This example comes from the Boiken people living in the mountains just south of New Guinea’s west coast. While all the traditional features are there—the long nose, the deep set eyes, etc—there just seems to be a looseness and archaic quality to them. The coastal masks can be too regimented, seeming to adhere too strictly to convention sometimes. Their counterparts in the mountains have a rawness to them that is refreshing. Such is the case with the present mask. The nose is sharply pointed, the mouth is open and expectant, the gaze is intense, the layers of colors indicate a long ritual life. The reverse is smooth with evidence of probably being re-carved in the last twenty years—this is a common practice of "cleaning" the mask. The holes around the edge are large and irregular. The mask is 17 ½" in height, dates to the 1920's. sold