Sepik yam mask

Object/Artifact

-

Mulvane Art Museum

Name/Title

Sepik yam mask

Entry/Object ID

2024.13.6

Made/Created

Time Period

20th Century

Ethnography

Cultural Region

Country

Papua New Guinea

Continent

Oceania

Culture/Tribe

Sepik River people

Dimensions

Height

29 in

Width

15-3/4 in

Depth

8 in

Material

Plant Fiber, Pigment

Interpretative Labels

Label

"Only Human," 2025 Yams are a profound part of agricultural and ceremonial life for some of the peoples in Papua New Guinea. A very long variety is cultivated for use in rituals. During the harvest festival, the yams are outfitted with masks so that they resemble humans in regalia. They are then exchanged in a ceremony that embodies the community's social and spiritual values.