Mask (Pwemwe)

This striking mask, with its grimacing mouth, bean-shaped eyes, and bulbous, hooked nose, was made in the northern part of New Caledonia. The thick, shiny patina is evidence of the piece's age and considerable use. The holes around the perimeter were used to affix the beard and wig of human hair, a hat, feathers, and other elements of the costume that completely draped to the knees the dancer who wore it. Little is known about the function of these masks, however, though it is usually said that they represent the spirits of ancestors returning to the village. They may have been associated with now-extinct secret men's associations or used in social control.