A Superb New Guinea Talipun Woven Bride Price Mask Yangoru Area East Sepik Papua New Guinea

A Superb Talipun Woven Bride Price from the Yangoru Area in the East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea

The Yangoru Boiken people live on the isolated southern slopes of the Prince Alexander Mountains in the East Sepik Province of Papuan New Guinea.

The Talipun or Talipoon is one of the most important types of traditional currency for the Yangoru Boiken people, it consists of a finely woven and ochre-painted mask attached to a large sea shell (in this example the shell is fragmentary).

For the Yangoru people, the importance lies in the bright polychrome paints applied to their surfaces. For the Yangoru paint is a magical substance that endows the figures with supernatural power and beauty.

The woven fiber masks, often come in different forms that represent important ancestral & or bush spirits that are specific to certain clans.  This mask has an abstracted ancestor’s face and a wooden bird’s head attached to the top.  The shells are a pure wealth object and are used to pay for the bride dowry’s or other compensation payments and they are still highly valued today in remote communities.

Beautiful old Talipun and Abelam Yam Masks are highly sought by collectors and artists who saw the great artistry in these woven sculptures.  When seen in a set of several masks together you can see how beautiful they look together ( see above photo of Abelam Wood Heads in a row)

This beautiful mask is on a custom-made stand that allows it to float and be easily displayed on a table or shelf.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of Papua New Guinea Art

I first went to Papua New Guinea in 1985 for an adventure & what I found was that I really enjoyed being with the people of New Guinea, over the next 38 years I spent extensive time spent collecting and documenting traditional art & ceremonies in remote areas of Papua New Guinea & West Papua, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & the other Pacific Islands countries. During these travels, I made major collections of New Guinea & Oceanic Art for major Museums and Public Art Galleries

I was honoured by being in the prestigious Louvre Museum Magazine for the collections I made for The Museum of African & Oceanic Art Paris in1996 (now the Musee Quai Branly) for the exhibition “Asmat et Mimika d’ Irian Jaya April 1996 At THE MUSEE NATIONAL des ARTS D’AFRIQUE et d’ OCEANIE, Paris

See all of the links & photos in my new EXHIBITIONS GALLERY and there is the link to the article in the prestigious Louvre Magazine 1996

I have artwork for Museums & Art Galleries but also for collectors at every stage of their collecting. I want to encourage people to explore the fine art of New Guinea & West Papua and the Pacific Islands and to be able to see and touch the artworks in a relaxed and friendly manner in my Sydney Gallery.  I would like to invite you to visit my gallery and see the artworks in person and also look at my website www.oceanicartsaustralia.com  where there are many Galleries & Sub Galleries to explore.

My Gallery of nearly 40 years is the last physical gallery in Sydney that specialises in New Guinea & Oceanic Art. Sydney is just a couple hours’ flight to New Guinea & the Pacific Islands where all of these amazing artworks came from, Australia’s closest neighbours.