Abelam

Abelam "baba" helmet, Middle Sepik, Papua New Guinea, mid-20th century.
Basketry and pigments.
Presents good state of preservation
Measurements: 47 cm.

Helmet in woven basketry enhanced with polychrome pigments. The face is animated by two round and prominent eyes covered with black and white pigment. The bridge of the nose is prominent and leads to a slightly open mouth. The ears are set far back and topped by a zigzag crest.
This type of helmets called "baba" were used for rituals of secret character, linked to young people who were initiated into adulthood in the Abelam people. The Abelam are a people living in the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea. They are an agricultural society in which giant yams play an important role.