Tatanua Mask
- Culture
- northern New Ireland artist
- Date
- late 19th–early 20th century
- Classification
- Costume & clothing, masks
- Collection
- Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 17 5/16 x 7 1/16 x 15 3/8 in. (44 x 18 x 39 cm)
- Credit Line
- Museum Purchase
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 122:1952
Provenance
Museum für Völkerkunde, Hamburg, Germany [1]
- still in 1943
Kenneth Macgowan (1888-1963), Hollywood and Los Angeles, CA, USA [2]
- 1952
Altman Antiques (Ralph C. Altman), Los Angeles, CA
1952 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Altman Antiques [3]
Notes:
[1] A letter dated May 12, 1952 from Ralph C. Altman to Perry T. Rathbone, director of the City Art Museum, identifies this object as "ex coll. Ethnographical Museum, Hamburg, Germany" and "later in the mask collection of Kenneth Macgowan" [Director's Office, General Correspondence, Archives, Saint Louis Art Museum]. An invoice dated June 11, 1952 from Ralph C. Altman to the City Art Museum documents the purchase of this object, identified as “New Ireland Mask” and "Ex coll. Völkerkunde Museum, Hamburg, Germany" [SLAM document files].
[2] See Note [1]. This mask was included in the exhibition "Masks from the collection of Kenneth MacGowan" held at the Museum of Costume Art, February 10–March 31, 1943 [installation photograph in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Costume Institute; copy of photograph in SLAM document files].
[3] See Note [1]. Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, May 14, 1952.
- still in 1943
Kenneth Macgowan (1888-1963), Hollywood and Los Angeles, CA, USA [2]
- 1952
Altman Antiques (Ralph C. Altman), Los Angeles, CA
1952 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Altman Antiques [3]
Notes:
[1] A letter dated May 12, 1952 from Ralph C. Altman to Perry T. Rathbone, director of the City Art Museum, identifies this object as "ex coll. Ethnographical Museum, Hamburg, Germany" and "later in the mask collection of Kenneth Macgowan" [Director's Office, General Correspondence, Archives, Saint Louis Art Museum]. An invoice dated June 11, 1952 from Ralph C. Altman to the City Art Museum documents the purchase of this object, identified as “New Ireland Mask” and "Ex coll. Völkerkunde Museum, Hamburg, Germany" [SLAM document files].
[2] See Note [1]. This mask was included in the exhibition "Masks from the collection of Kenneth MacGowan" held at the Museum of Costume Art, February 10–March 31, 1943 [installation photograph in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Costume Institute; copy of photograph in SLAM document files].
[3] See Note [1]. Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, May 14, 1952.
We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.