#13 • Vanuatu Malekula Temes Nevimbur Mask Puppet

Part of Professor’s Collection Part One: Pacific & Pre-Columbian Artifacts (live auction by Blue Box Auction Gallery)

High bid $95.00

Status: Sold

Estimated Value: $200-400 Origin: Malekula Island, mid 20th century  Dimensions: 9x4.5x44.5 in.  Condition: It appears to be missing its nose and has wear of the natural materials and cracking of its paint. It is fragile and loose on the rod.  Additional Information: This Vanuatu Malekula Temes Nevimbur Mask Puppet is on a wooden rod with the mask shaped onto the top with natural materials such as clay, natural fibers, vegetal paste, and leaves. It has a hole where a nose would be and a painted orange and black design. It also has bore tusks on each side of the face.  Boar tusks are sometimes used as currency in Vanatu and often represented wealth and status. Temes Nevimber are types of rods or puppets that are used in secret society ceremonies and represent are used to tell mythological stories.  Placed around sacred ritual "nakamal" sites where the uninitiated as well as females were forbidden to enter. Also has remnants of spider webbing gathered between tree branches. Reportedly, provenance: Scott Duggleby, TX.