 Mask 28 20" $3000 |
 Mask 20 26" $1000 |
 Mask 2 56" $800 |
 Mask 6 53" $1000 |
Mask 28 20" $3000 |
Mask 20 26" $1000 |
Mask 2 56" $800 |
Mask 6 53" $1000 |
 Mask 27 15.5" SOLD |
 Mask 4 36" $600 |
 Mask 7 27" $600 |
 Mask 9 48" $700 |
 Mask 10 20.5" $400 |
 Mask11 17.5" $350 |
 Mask 12 21" $300 |
 Mask 13 28" $400 |
 Mask 14 28" $400 |
 Mask 18 18.5" $400 |
 Mask 21 20.5" $300 |
 Mask 22 19" $350 |
 Mask 5 25" $400 |
 Mask 25 50" $800 |
These brooding, often quite large, masks represent a forest spirit, Landai. They were used by the men's Poro Society to initiate boys into manhood. The masks, in what was often a frightening ritual for the boys, would symbolically swallow the boy, who would then re-emerge as a man. The masks were worn with a large raffia costume. Most have a flat face, the traditional beaked nose, jaws of teeth, protruding brow and horns. Despite their appearance most of these Toma masks show no evidence of age or use and were probably made to be sold.
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