Step into the vibrant world of Oceanic art with this extraordinary Baba Tagwa mask, handcrafted over 50 years ago by the Abelam people of the Prince Alexander Mountains in the Sepik River region of northeast New Guinea.

These helmet-style masks, known as baba tagwa in the Abelam language, are deeply rooted in the male initiation cycle. Worn with shaggy costumes made from strips of leaves, the masked figures serve as ceremonial guardians—driving away women, children, and uninitiated men with bamboo staffs to protect the secrecy of sacred rites.

This particular mask features striking bird-shaped heads, sculpted with meticulous care to reflect the Abelam’s spiritual connection with the natural world. Made from clay and adorned with traditional ochre pigments in earthy reds, yellows, and browns, it retains subtle traces of its original color, softened beautifully by time.

A true embodiment of cultural identity and artistic mastery, this baba tagwa is more than an artifact—it is a gateway into the ancestral spirit, tradition, and aesthetic of Oceania.