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Simple necklace of two boar tusks joined together with plaited fiber hanging from strand of gray seeds.  Curved tusks project left and right and lie flat against surface.
Boar's Tusk Necklace
Courtesy of the Harn Museum of Art, Photography by Foad Seyed Mohammadi

Boar's Tusk Necklace

Maker New Guinean
Date20th century
Place of originAsia
MediumFiber, shells, beads
Dimensions17 1/2 x 7 1/4 x 1 1/4 in. (44.5 x 18.4 x 3.2 cm)
ClassificationsClothing and accessories
Credit LineGift of Dr. Samuel Spring
Object numberS85-SPNG-G162
Collections
Visual DescriptionSimple necklace of two boar tusks joined together with plaited fiber hanging from strand of gray seeds. Curved tusks project left and right and lie flat against surface.
Plaited fiber in hanging rectangles edged with cowrie shells. Front has 4 hanging panels with attached dangling disc. Repeat in back. Large shells are mounted on either side of plaited fiber. Connected by stick that supports fiber. Double loops.
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New Guinean, Sepik River
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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.
Iatmul
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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.
Iatmul
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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.
Iatmul
20th century
Headband
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20th century
Helmet mask depicting a composite boar and bird, made of wood and rattan, lined with cloth. The face has intricate openwork carving and is painted with fine lines in red, and black pigments over a white ground. A ruff of coconut fibers encircling back of head and fringe on chin. Snout of warthog has a bird with long bill, which is broken and glued together. Eyes of warthog and bird are made of snail shells (opercula). Trade cloth liner is made of two pieces of different floral patterns.
Papua New Guinea
early-mid 20th century
Small tubular gourd wider at top, narrowing as it curves around to app. 1/4" diam.  At opening plaited fiber wraps around gourd and attached to plaited string handle.
New Guinean
last half 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.
Iatmul
20th century
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.
Iatmul
20th century
Billum Bag
New Guinean
20th century
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