This mask was made about 1870 in Torres Strait Islands, Australia. It was gifted to the Colonial Museum by the Marquess of Normanby in 1875. Masks, especially those made from turtle shell, were a feature of Torres Strait Islands culture.
This remarkable mask is unusual, possibly unique, among Torres Strait masks, in that it incorporates a European-style, broad-brimmed hat in its design.
The early 1870s were a time of rapid change in the Torres Strait Islands. At this time, contact with Europeans greatly increased and the islands began to accept Christianity.
Mask, about 1870, wood, turtle shell, plant fibre, nuts, shells, feathers, pigment, Torres Strait Islands, Australia, gift of the Marquess of Normanby, 1875