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Mouth ornament
Possibly Astrolabe Bay
20th century, 1950–2000
Object Place: Astrolabe Bay, Papua New Guinea
Medium/Technique
Braided fiber, nassa shells, porcelain shells, string (added)
Dimensions
Overall: 36 x 34 x 6 cm (14 3/16 x 13 3/8 x 2 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession Number2009.2753
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsContemporary Art, Africa and Oceania, Fashion and Textiles
ClassificationsCostumes
Men held objects like this one between their teeth, covering parts of the face and chin. They were carried in this fashion during warfare, an activity that ended many years ago. This particular mouthpiece may have been made for western visitors to Papua New Guinea.
Provenance1967, acquired in Angoram, Sepik, Papua New Guinea by Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)