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Body masquerade woven(?) horizontally of woven rattan. Pig face with snout from which feathers, twine and fabric dangle. Cowrie shell eyes. Headdress of face. Earrings ? object in nose dangle from ears. Tusks extending from one side of mouth. Rows of cassowary feathers extend length of body and fringe hangs at bottom. Highlighted with earth pigment.
Pig dance costume
Courtesy of the Harn Museum of Art, Photography by Randy Batista

Pig dance costume

Maker Iatmul , Tambanum village
Date20th century
Place of originAsia
MediumRattan, raffia, shells, string, tusks, feathers, leaves, pigment
Dimensions22 1/2 x 59 3/4 x 13 1/4 in. (57.2 x 151.8 x 33.7 cm)
ClassificationsClothing and accessories
Credit LineGift of Dr. Samuel Spring
Object numberS85-SPNG-G115
Collections
Visual DescriptionBody masquerade woven(?) horizontally of woven rattan. Pig face with snout from which feathers, twine and fabric dangle. Cowrie shell eyes. Headdress of face. Earrings ? object in nose dangle from ears. Tusks extending from one side of mouth. Rows of cassowary feathers extend length of body and fringe hangs at bottom. Highlighted with earth pigment.
Finely woven rattan body costume with hanging fiber. Wings and head made from plaited string. Long neck. Design painted on predominately black body. Shell eye. Cassowary feathers extend down sides and ridge of back. Dangling twine from circular disc ears.
Cassowary Dance Costume
Iatmul
20th century
Woven rattan helmet-type mask with attached clay covered rattan disk as face. Large pierced nose. Cowrie shell beard. Small slit mouth and eyes. Surrounded by cassowary feathers.
Initiation Mask
Iatmul
20th century
Very long traditional shaped mask with long nose attached to chin. Bird head extending from chin. Conical eyes with nassa shells. High forehead. Tusks extending either side of nose.
Mai Mask
Iatmul
20th century
Traditional elongated facial mask with long nose pierced at septum with boar tusk extending to chin where bird protrudes down. Face surrounded by shells embedded in clay. Shells on nose extension. Human hair at top of head beneath plaited raffia loop for hanging. Small inset shells for eyes underneath carved protruding brows. Dark stain. Painted traditional designs.
Mai Mask
Iatmul
20th century
Small elliptical shaped woven face mask surrounded with feathers and attached to large shell with rattan.
Bride Price
Sawos
20th century
Long open ? plaited fiber cap. When worn extends down back and ends in small likeness of lizard or crocodile with mouth. Strands of fiber adorned with cowrie shells and painted with red and white pigment. Small twine loops with evidence of feathers at top.
Bridal Headpiece (ambusap)
Iatmul
20th century
Woven basketry cone shaped from topped with traditional Sepik human head made of clay and painted designs. Large shell eyes, typical nose and protruding tongue. Hair beard. Face encircled in shells, embedded with clay. On basketry torso is the "dual" ancestor's face mocking the larger predominate face. Raffia fringe extends from bottom. Handle on side and back. Wood plug earring. Raffia fringe covers armholes inside. Striped design in red, black and yellow.
Dual ancestral costume
Iatmul
20th century
album cover
"Flower Album"
17th century
Masquerade costume consists of an Ebonko head (name of the conical curving feature found on head piece is called Etundu); a tailored cloth shirt and trousers (known as Ofon Idem Ebonko); cloth mane worn on chest and wrapped around shoulders (Ofon Nyanya); two hand tufts with small bells worn around wrist (Ita Ubok); two leg tufts with small bells worn around ankle adorned with small bells (Ita Ukot); a winged hat worn on the back of the head (Itam Ekot), a Mbobo cloth girdle with decorative fold…
Ebonko Masquerade Costume
Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa
2010
Abstract collage covered in dense, overlapping jagged leaf-like shapes in bright green and orange. The textured botanical forms are layered over a mottled black central surrounded by orange areas and dark paint splatters throughout.
Red-Green Thornbush
Karl Zerbe
1965-1966
Album with 10 leaves depicting flowers, fruit and bamboo
Flowers, Fruit and Bamboo
Fang Zhi
late 18th century
Album with 13 leaves depicting sites with commoners
Thirteen Famous Sites in Edo
Ogata Gekkō 尾形月耕
1913

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