Facade mask

These large masks are fixed on the facades of ceremonial houses, under thatched awnings, in the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea. This sculpted and painted monumental face represents an ancestor of the clans to whom the house belongs. The mask has a protective function. The face has an aggressive expression; the tongue is out, with the mouth open to show two rows of teeth, and the eyes are round and glaring. It recalls the power of men and the symbolic force of the house of men.