Dance Mask (Lorr)
ClassificationsClothing and Adornments-masks
Culture
Tolai
Date20th Century
Made AtNew Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea
MediumWood, paint, fiber, leaves and bamboo cane
Dimensions29 × 18 × 13 in. (73.7 × 45.7 × 33 cm)
Credit LineCollected on behalf of the Bowers Museum by the Roski-Keller-Martin Expeditions 2000-2008
Object number2011.11.6
DescriptionThis mask comes from the Tolai people residing in West New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea, and it dates to the 20th century. White is the color of death in Melanesian culture and this dance mask called lorr (skull) likely represents a ghost or other manifestation concerned with the afterlife. These masks found on the southern west coast of New Ireland, New Britain's Gazelle Peninsula, and the Duke of York Islands located between, were linked to ceremonies regarding death and the spirit realm.On View
On view
