The Rath Collection

Photo Galleries | Updated 7 years ago

F3054: Food Bowl; Murik Lakes
Western Australian Museum Finely carved food bowl from Murik Lakes that may be hung from a wall. Back View.

F3054: Food Bowl; Murik Lakes
Western Australian Museum Hard wood plaque from the Middle Sepik region. Front View.

F3053: Wooden Plaque; Middle Sepik
Western Australian Museum Hard wood plaque from the Middle Sepik region. Back View.

F3053: Wooden Plaque
Western Australian Museum A rare Spirit flute from the Yuat River area. The piece features a long mud mask connected to a wooden pole. Front view.

F3056: Spirit Flute; Yuat River
Western Australian Museum An intricately designed War shield, featuring three wooden logs tied together. From Arawe, West New Britain. Front View.

F3057: War shield; Arawe, West New Britain
Western Australian Museum An intricately designed War shield, featuring three wooden logs tied together. From Arawe, West New Britain. Front View.

F3057: War shield; Arawe, West New Britain
Western Australian Museum A large, colourful war shield from Kupkein, Upper Sepik. Features a smiling face with six black circles below. Front view.

F3058: War Shield; Kupkein region
Western Australian Museum A large, colourful war shield from Kupkein, Upper Sepik. Features a smiling face with six black circles below. Back view.

F3058: War Shield; Kupkein region
Western Australian Museum A finely carved, black Iwam war shield from the lower May River area, East Sepik Province. Concentric circles supposedly represent human skulls. Front View.

F3059: War Shield; Iwam, East Sepik
Western Australian Museum A finely carved, black Iwam war shield from the lower May River area, East Sepik Province. Concentric circles supposedly represent human skulls. Front View.

F3059: War Shield; Iwam, East Sepik
Western Australian Museum A Pig skin shield with a rattan Framework. Supposedly used by the younger initiate men. Front View.

F3060: Pig skin shield, East Sepik
Western Australian Museum A Pig skin shield with a rattan Framework. Supposedly used by the younger initiate men. Back View.

F3060: Pig skin shield, East Sepik
Western Australian Museum A double faced, tall woven dance mask from Kanganaman Village. The mask has two hand holes, a raffia skirt, and two holes in the lower face for the dancer to see out. Front View.

F3061: Tumbuan Dance Mask. Kanganaman Village
Western Australian Museum A double faced, tall woven dance mask from Kanganaman Village. The mask has two hand holes, a raffia skirt, and two holes in the lower face for the dancer to see out. Side View.

F3061: Tumbuan Dance Mask. Kanganaman Village
Western Australian Museum

Donated to the Western Australian Museum in 2009 by Louise Rath, this small collection of Oceanic art is both unique and beautiful. The War shields in the collection fill a significant void in the Museums Melanesian collections, while the Tumbuan mask adds to our collection of Dance Masks from the Papua New Guinea Region.

written and phtographed by:

Xavier Leenders