Torres Strait Fragment

44. The upper part of a very rare Torres Strait mask (Le Op) dating to the mid 19th century. From the collection of Francis Woodland Reader who worked alongside General Pitt Rivers. Made from turtle shell and bound with fibre. These masks were used in funerary ceremonies to appease the spirits of the deceased. Masks created from turtle shell in this way are unique to these islands and were first seen in use by Western eyes in 1606 on the Queiros voyage.

This fragment is related to the early examples and was probably collected in 1870’s,  if you look at the forehead section of the mask in the British Museum that was field collected in 1870 by William T Kennet, museum number Oc.6917 there are obvious similarities.

Eastern Torres Straits.

21cm x 23cm

Ex Francis Woodland Reader’s (1864-1951) Frank Reader was the author of several booklets, reports and articles in archaeological journals, including several treatises on Tudor Domestic Wall Painting, published by The Royal Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, he also wrote ‘A Handbook to The Collection of Prehistoric Objects in the Essex Museum of Natural History’ (Passmore Edwards Museum), and collaborated on other publications relating to Roman London. He worked with Lieut. General Pitt Rivers on excavations at Cranborne Chase, and was joint secretary of the Essex Field Club.

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