Turubu Barak Mask Dream Piece #32Turubu Barak MaskChristie’s Paris19 June 2013, Lot 3€35,000 / $46,609 The Christie’s Paris sale in June of 2013 was bittersweet to me. It was when the de Young Museum of San Francisco had to sell some of its outstanding Jolika New Guinea Art Collection to settle a legal dispute. Fifteen of these were up for sale at Chistie’s that afternoon. The catalog cover object was a mind-blowing Biwat roof finial figure from Melbourne’s Savage Club that is indeed a true dream piece, and I was thinking about writing on it. But I selected the present Barak mask because it is a dream piece in its own right and I have some personal insight that I can share. Barak mask, Christie’s Paris 19 June 2013, lot 3 Back when I first started field collecting in Papua New Guinea in the mid 1990s one of the local men who would end up working with me for the next fifteen years was from the Inland Turubu area where these distinct long-nose barak masks originate. Thus, my connection with this fellow resulted in numerous visits to all of the villages in the area looking for old masks and over a 15-year period I collected some great ones—none better than the present example. But just as worthy as the masks I found was the insight gathered from talking to the old men at night by the light of a kerosene lamp. Back in the day, and to some extent even now, these masks were commonly referred to as “mosquito masks.” I suspected this was just a convenient moniker with no real cultural foundation and so one day I asked an old man in charge of the village’s masks what was the proper name for them. He said “barak” and when I asked what the closest word in English that corresponded to barak he said “king.” Jeez, I should have known. Us Western dealers and collectors looked at the sharp pointed nose and named the mask after a lowly and annoying insect; while the people who made and used the masks considered them of the highest importance and authority. The disparity in conceptions could literally not be further apart. The same man walked me outside of the village aways into the forest to a small bush material structure where inside five masks were lying flat, nose-up, on a shelf. He lifted each one to point out the small pile of things underneath—aromatic barks, bits of coral, mysterious looking bones and other magical ingredients each with its own power that kept the masks spiritually charged and ready. While dusty and laced with spiderwebs the masks seemed to hum with potency. From Michael Hamson Archives There are several factors that make the present barak mask extraordinary. First is the nose and this is best judged with the mask in full profile so I brought in an image from my own archive. The nose here is both very long and very stout conveying strength, not delicacy. Secondly, is the curve under the nose joining the lower part of the face is fluid and graceful, free from angles or rigidity. The back edge of the mask should also be gently curved. The obvious signs of traditional use are the main holes on the backside of the mask where it was attached to the larger dance costume and then the tiny holes near the nostrils that would have once held shell bead decorations. But what really sets this mask apart is its antiquity with its surface that appears almost metallic with foliated layers of black patina. There are no hints of metal tool marks, just the rounded, almost crushed edges of stone adzing. The thin contours of the lower half are scalloped from generations of rats testing the mask’s edibility. Back in 2007 I brought up the idea of an aesthetic of integrity, trying to define that quality where an object’s flaws, wear, damage, remains of pigments, variations of patina, etc. all combine to reinforce its history, its cultural importance, its integrity. Not only how the form fits its function but how the physical evidence of an artwork’s hardships and sufferings add a reassuring beauty and allure to it. Such is the case with this barak mask—battle-scarred and worn as an aged king with undiminished authority. While I do not know where this mask presently resides or who looks after it but if the present owner is reading this I would ask you to give it my warmest regards and to please greet it each day with an appropriate bow or curtsy.
