Object Name: Mask

Artist: Unknown

Place of Origin: New Caledonia, Melanesia

Date/Era: 19th century

Dimensions: H: 188.00 cm, W: 55.00 cm, D: 25.50 cm

Medium/Materials: Wood, barkcloth, human hair, feathers, bamboo, cotton thread, plant fiber

Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Wellcome Trust.

Accession Number: X65.7799

Animal and human attributes merge in this monumental mask featuring bird feathers and human hair. Masks of this type were considered the dwelling places for the souls of the heroes of the past. Each mask had a different personal name, yet they all represented forms of a single deity, a water spirit associated with the perpetuation of the lineage.