Sulka Helmet Mask, New Britain, Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea

Possibly acquired in situ by Richard Parkinson (1844 - 1909), resident in the Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain from 1882-1909

Dr Heinrich Lahmann (1860 - 1905) Collection, Dresden

Museum für Völkerkunde, Dresden, August 1932 (No. 47658)

Everett Rassiga, New York, acquired from the above by exchange

Sotheby’s, New York, November 20, 1991, lot 21, consigned by the above

Private Collection, Germany

Sotheby's, New York, African, Oceanic, And Pre-Columbian Art, May 7, 2016, lot 9

Daniel Hourdé Collection, Pairs, acquired from the above sale

Anthony JP Meyer, Oceanic Art/Ozeanische Kunst/Art Océanien, Cologne, 1995, p. 372, n° 406

By Philippe Peltier

Sulka masks from New Britain rank among the most astonishing creations of a region - the Pacific - that is itself far from lacking in extraordinary artistic traditions.

Seven distinct types of Sulka masks are known, designated locally by the generic term o hemlout (a term that translates roughly as “old men”, and refers more specifically to large parasol-like masks). One of these types is known as sisiu (also referred to as susu, sisi or sisu), the meaning of which remains unknown to us. The early and remarkable exemplar reproduced here belongs to this category.

The general shape of sisiu masks is conical, constructed by assembling and binding together narrow wooden slats. This framework is then covered with very fine strips of pith taken from a vine (ngausie), patiently and regularly stitched together using banana fibres. The resulting, surprisingly strong structure, is shaped through subtle inflections to the framework. In the piece at hand, these inflections delineate arched brows and create two ridges on the forehead that fan out towards the rear of the piece into two broad bands forming a niche. The creators can sometimes add independent elements fashioned from the same materials to these structural inflexions: here, a triangular shape for the nose, two rectangles for ears, two buttons for eyes, and a horizontally fixed triangle extending the bands that form the niche. To complete the facial features, these elements are complemented by a small wooden plank forming the mouth, with teeth stained black in reference to the manganese-based dye applied to the teeth of young boys during their initiation.

Once the structure of the mask has been completed, it is painted red, a colour that men obtain by chewing the leaves of a plant from the coleus family. Black motifs are then drawn on and subsequently coloured in white and green, although the latter is rarely used in the Pacific. While red is associated with the blood of the ancestors, the motifs themselves do not appear to carry a specific meaning - at least not one understood by the uninitiated. Inspired by natural forms, they are designed to capture the attention of the viewer and generate a sense of wonder. To complete the mask, a cassowary feather coiffure is attached, along with a collar of yellow cordyline leaves, which is fastened at the base just before the mask makes its appearance.

Each step in the mask-making process - all of which follow strict rules and involve magical acts that enhance its power - takes place in the forest, in an enclosure accessible only to initiated men. It can require several weeks. Each mask is made by a man who will, however, not be the one to wear it when it comes out, as he will have to trade it with another man. 

To mark the completion of the initiation of young boys and girls, all the sisiu masks made for the occasion dance in a line across the village square. Their performance is brief - less than ten minutes - but highly energetic. Dancers strike the ground to create resonance. The intended effect is one of surprise, astonishment and even possibly awe at the sumptuous presence of the clan's ancestors.

André Breton owned one of these rare “sugarloaf” Sulka masks in his collection - it appeared in the 1931 Breton–Éluard auction - clear evidence of the fascination they exerted upon him from an early date. This sense of fascination resurfaced when Breton encountered the large o hemlout masks at the Field Museum in Chicago in June 1945.

As he would go on to explain a few months later, “whilst Oceanic art had always enjoyed absolute prestige among the Surrealists, Sulka masks, in their formal invention, represent the most fully realised expression one can imagine, inflicting upon those who know how to view them ‘a poetic gouge’. Through their mysterious presence, they reveal the extremes to which the poetic sublime can reach.”