Mourner's mask

This mask is an example of those made by the Kanak people of New Caledonia in the 19th century. Little is known about the uses or functions of these masks, although their use is said to differ depending on which part of New Caledonia they come from. In the north of New Caledonia, masks such as this are thought to have been worn at the funeral of a dead chief and probably represented his spirit. Further south, masks were less clearly associated with mourning. They were worn at festivals and were supposed to inspire both fear and joy. Unlike the carved house decorations, the masks are not thought to depict ancestors. Instead, they are either thought to be associated with myths about gods and spirits, or they are to personify a chief or chiefdom in general.

Decoration

The masks consist of three parts: the face, the head gear and the lower section. The head gear is made of a woven wicker bask which is decorated with human hair. The lower section consists of a section of bat skin covered in human hair and fibres that forms a beard. Then below this there is a ‘cloak’ consisting of pigeon feathers attached to a woven fibre net. The holes around the edges of the face are used to connect the other parts of the costume.

Acquisition

This is one of two examples of masks from New Caledonia in Te Papa’s collections. This mask was donated to the museum by Alexander Turnbull in 1913 and was previously part of his private collection.