Mask/headdress. Carved from wood with a plant leaf fringe. The mask is roughly conical with a flattened top. Painted black, white and pink. [AB [OPS move] 19/12/2017]

Collection type: Object
Description: Mask/headdress. Carved from wood with a plant leaf fringe. The mask is roughly conical with a flattened top. Painted black, white and pink. [AB [OPS move] 19/12/2017]
Long description: Mask/headdress. Carved from wood with a plant leaf fringe. The mask is roughly conical with a flattened top. Painted black, white and pink with a zigzag pattern and an eye lined with rows of abrus precatorius seeds. Part of a complete costume for masked society, for the skirt see 1920.100.26 .2. [AB [OPS move] 19/12/2017]
Geographical reference: Vanuatu
Oceania > Melanesia > Vanuatu; Banks Islands
Person: Field collector John Palmer; Field collector Melanesian Mission; PRM source Robert Henry Codrington; PRM source Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Date / Period: Date made: Before 1885
Date collected: By 1885
Acquisition information: Donated: 1885, uncertain Transferred: 21/04/1888, uncertain
Materials and processes: Material Pigment, Material Abrus Precatorius Seed Plant, Material Plant Leaf, Material Palm Leaf Plant, Material Wood Plant, Process Bound, Process Painted, Process Carved
Dimensions: Height: max 1440 mm approx, Depth: max 240 mm, Width: max 320 mm
Object numbers: Accession number: 1920.100.26.1
Research and responses: According to Codrington's book The Melanesians, their anthropology and folk-lore the Tamate is the name of a secret/masked society. This is the costume worn, which seemingly consists of a headdress, shoulder covering, cloak and skirt, although this should be checked when this object is retrieved. [CW 8/3/2001]

Search terms: Clothing, Ornament, Religion, Mask, Clothing Headgear, Figure, Headdress, Bird Figure, Cloak, Skirt

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