Museum Purchase: Helen Thurston Ayer Fund.

Museum Purchase: Helen Thurston Ayer Fund.

Carving knife with a short steel blade, round metal neck piece and wooden handle. Knife looks as if it may have originally been manufactured/store bought, then modified by hand to fit better. The handle, neck and lower part of blade have red paint remnants and/or splatters. The blade shows major sharpening marks.

Sago peg with carved head. Peg is split from its tapered bottom through the thicker middle to the carved head, which features the face of a man under the figure of a bird. The long face spans two facets of the roughly diamond-shaped head, with engraved eyes, heavy brow and long pointed nose over protruding lips in an undercut chin. A bird sits on the man's head, curled into itself, with long pointed beak dropping down toward the man's forehead. It is painted black and dark brown, with round, light brown eyes.

Sago peg with carved head. Peg is split from its tapered bottom through the thicker middle to the carved head, which features the face of a man under the figure of a bird. The long face spans two facets of the roughly diamond-shaped head, with engraved eyes, heavy brow and long pointed nose over protruding lips in an undercut chin. A bird sits on the man's head, curled into itself, with long pointed beak dropping down toward the man's forehead. It is painted black and dark brown, with round, light brown eyes.

Sago peg with carved, painted head. Peg is split from its tapered bottom to the thicker midpoint, where it is wrapped with a wide band of woven rattan. Its top is painted a dark brown with areas of lacquering, and carved into the heads of a human and a bird. Two faces each span two facets of the diamond-shaped human head, featuring engraved eyes and protruding lips in an undercut chin. Above is the bird’s head, sitting atop a long curved neck with parted beak dropping toward the forehead of one of the human faces.

Sago peg with carved, painted head. Peg is split from its tapered bottom to midpoint, where it is wrapped with a wide band of woven rattan as well as two thin rings also of woven rattan. Its top is painted a dark brown with areas of lacquering, and carved into the heads of a human and a bird. Two faces each span two facets of the diamond-shaped human head, featuring protruding eyes and brows, and protruding lips in an undercut chin. Above is the bird’s head, sitting atop a long curved neck with parted beak dropping toward the forehead of one of the human faces. Small wings are blunt and partially unfurled.

Mask made of carved wood, animal skin and cloth. The face is painted orange, and displays an open mouth, small nose with a curved bridge and flared nostrils, small eye holes bored through the wood and lined with fibres, wide fibre-covered brows, and large ears to the sides. A small tuft of hair is glued to the upper lip for a mustache and paper has been inserted into the mouth to create teeth behind the lower lip. The head is covered with a thick cotton fabric lined with burlap that covers the wearer’s head and neck. Large course stiches are incorporated, as well as a rope made of plant fibre and a piece of red and white cotton fabric. Parts b and c are pieces of hardened skin with long, light brown hair attached.

Mask made of carved wood, animal skin and cloth. The face is painted orange, and displays an open mouth, small nose, eye holes bored through the wood, and rounded ears to the sides. Tufts of hair are glued to the upper lip for a mustache and wool is attached around the eyes and for brows. A strip of wood is inserted into the mouth for teeth, unpainted, and white paper is set inside the eyes with holes torn in the centre to allow the wearer to see. Long black goat hair is attached to the top of the head. Flowered fabrics hang from the chin and back.

Mask made of carved wood, animal skin, cloth and feathers. The face is painted orange, and displays an open mouth, small rectangular nose, small eye holes bored through the wood, and small ears to the sides. Tufts of hair are glued to the upper lip for a mustache. Three lines are drawn to the outside of each eye, and a half circle with two groups of three lines sits between the eyebrows, which are small pieces of hide. Small carved wooden teeth, unpainted, are attached inside the mouth, and white paper is set inside the eyes with holes torn in the centre to allow the wearer to see. Short-haired goat hide is attached around the edges of the mask with crown of head left bald, and to it at the back is sewn light brown cotton fabric that covers the head of the wearer. Atop the mask is a group of tall brown feathers.