This is an extraordinary Painted Wood with Feathers Duk Duk Figure from
the Tolai people of the Rabaul area of New Britain, the largest island
in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. Duk-Duk is a secret
society, which has religious and political as well as social objectives.
The Duk Duk represents a form of law and order through its presiding
spirits. In ritual dances, members of the society invoke the male spirit
Duk Duk and female spirit Tubuan depending on which mask the dancer
wears. The dancers are always male despite the fact that some are
performing the role of female spirits. Women and children were forbidden
to look at these figures. Both types of mask are cone-shaped and are
constructed of cane and fiber, with short, bushy capes of leaves.
Traditionally the Duk Duk was taller than the Tubuan and was faceless.
The Tubuan had circular eyes and a crescent-shaped mouth brightly
painted on a dark background and decorated with feathers. After their
long ceremonial preparation, arrival of the Duk Duks and initiation, the
dancers perform on a platform yelping and jumping in their conical
costumes. The last day on which the moon is visible, the Duk Duks
disappear, though no one sees them depart; their house in the bush is
burned, and the dresses they have worn are destroyed. It is necessary
above all else to preserve the mystery. These are truly collectable,
and this dance ceremony is not longer preformed, only now for the
tourists. A fabulous and One of Kind addition to your collection or
home.
20 1/4" tall with feathers
Figure
15 1/2" tall
20 1/2" wide front fiber
6 1/2" wide side fiber
Collected in the field and in wonderful condition with just a few traces of black paint on the face.
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