Title
Kavat (night dance mask)
mid 20th century
collected 1965
Artist
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Details
- Other Titles
- Mask
Kavat mask - Place where the work was made
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Gazelle Peninsula
→
East New Britain Province
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New Britain
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Papua New Guinea
- Cultural origin
- Baining people
- Dates
- mid 20th century
collected 1965 - Media categories
- Ceremonial object , Sculpture
- Materials used
- barkcloth, rattan frame, red and black natural pigments
- Dimensions
- 66.0 x 61.0 x 85.5 cm overall
- Credit
- Purchased 1976
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- 172.1976
- Copyright
- Artist information
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Baining people
Works in the collection
- Share
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About
'Kavat' masks are made of tapa cloth stretched over a rattan framework, and are painted black and red and sometimes also yellow. The distinguishing features of 'kavat' masks are out-size round eyes and a dangling or bent appendage below the mouth. Because of their form and, more importantly, because of the way they are painted, these masks are linked with various animals and plants. Leaf or pig spirits are represented in conjunction with flora and fauna encountered in the bush or hunted there, and many other animal motifs are also used.
excerpt from Ingrid Heermann (ed.), 'Form colour inspiration: Oceanic art from New Britain', Arnoldsche, Stuttgart, 2001
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Bibliography
Referenced in 1 publication
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Art Gallery of New South Wales (Editor), Catalogue of acquisitions 1976, Sydney, 1976, 99 (illus.). cat.no. 303
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