The name of this item is missing in its original language. If you know the name or have any comments, please use the form to get in touch with the institution that provided the data.
Caiman

Catalogue XINGÚ: Large wooden mask Catalogue: Masks of South American indigenous peoples: This extremely large wooden mask (caiman mask?), which covers the wearer's head and upper body, is characterised by its clear lines. The sparse black and white drawing on the forehead, eyes and mouth-chin area intensifies to form the richly patterned centre section of the mask, which in turn is emphasised by the white nose line that extends to the very deep-set, small mouth with a piranha bite. The black part of the forehead and the diagonally outward leading chin stripes optically reduce the size of the face. Closer inspection reveals that the nose and forehead are raised. The black-rimmed, pierced eyes appear particularly large due to the suggestion of dark circles, especially as the horizontal line is extended by Japú feathers. A woven raffia hood is used to cover the mask. Entry in the historical catalogue: Large mask with black, white and red bamalung and a raffia pendant. Entry in the main historical catalogue: Large mask

This content was machine-translated
Data Provider
Ethnologisches Museum
Show only fields containing data

Cataloguing data

Cultural attribution
Mehinakú
Object type
Mask
Dimensions
Länge x Breite x Höhe: 64 x 24,5 x 20 cm
Material/Technique
Wood, Bast , Piranha teeth
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
V B 2591

Provenance and sources

where
Brazil [Land]
who
Mehinakú

who
Steinen, Karl von den - Collectors

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
This content was machine-translated
2.1.1 / 7.1