Sepik yam mask

Object/Artifact

Mulvane Art Museum

cell phone reference image

Name/Title

Sepik yam mask

Entry/Object ID

2024.13.2

Made/Created

Time Period

20th Century

Ethnography

Cultural Region

Country

Papua New Guinea

Continent

Oceania

Culture/Tribe

Sepik River people

Material

Plant Fiber, Pigment

Interpretative Labels

Label

(2025 post) Art Up Close: This small woven mask was made to decorate a yam, which are a profound part of life for some peoples in Papua New Guinea. During the harvest festival, yams are outfitted with masks and then exchanged in a ceremony that embodies the community’s social and spiritual values. Visit "Only Human" to see a similar yam mask in person