Title: Yam Mask. Date: early to mid-20th century. Geography: Papua New Guinea, Prince Alexander Mountains, Middle Sepik River region. Culture: Abelam people. Medium: Fiber, paint. Dimensions: H. 28 in. × W. 12 1/2 in. × D. 10 1/4 in. (71.1 × 31.8 × 26 cm) Classification: Basketry-Sculpture

Basket yam masks are an essential part of the elaborate yam harvest ceremonies and festivals for the Abelam people of the East Sepik Province. Rituals associated with yams form the basis of the spiritual life of the Abelam.

The "heads " of the enormous tubers are adorned with specially made yam masks of basketry or wood, which are created exclusively for this purpose and never worn by humans. A photograph from the late 1950s or early 1960s shows a decorated long yam on display during an Abelam yam-exchange ceremony.

Yam Mask c. 1990. Abelem, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. Martha J. Stevens Collection. Worn not by people, but by giant yams – that grow as big as twelve feet long. A man’s social status was determined by his ability to grow enormous yams.

Masks are used to cover long yams in a ceremony showing the men's gardening prowess. It is of utmost importance in the culture. the Abelam believe only men can grow long yams.

When decorated, the yams represent ancestral spirits called nggwal. Nggwal do not act by themselves but must be encouraged with offerings, chants, and decorations. The decorations used on long yams like this include masks, shell valuables, feathers, and paint.

These giants can measure between 9 – 12 feet in length and they play a crucial role in the annual yam festival where they are publicly displayed. They are embellished with feathers, flowers, paint and masks such as the ones pictured here.

During the yam lining, wooden yam masks and balsa wood heads are used, along with basket yam masks, to create the nggwal spirits of the long yams. The carved wooden faces are often are backed with a fan.

Feb 19, 2019 · The longest yams in particular are transformed to depict human figures. They are presented in full ceremonial attire. The tops or “heads” or the yams receive a special adornment known as a yam mask.

The yam mask (bapamimi) is not worn by the tribe members, but instead is used to decorate giant yams after harvest during the yam festival (wapisaki). Abelam people assemble at a designated village and lines up the yams, which can reach up to three meters long and weigh over 50 …