Papua New Guinea

Mask Papua New Guinea Mwai Wombom Village Mask

Mask Papua New Guinea Mwai Wombom Village Mask
Mask Papua New Guinea Mwai Wombom Village Mask
Mask Papua New Guinea Mwai Wombom Village Mask
Mask Papua New Guinea Mwai Wombom Village Mask

Mask Papua New Guinea Mwai Wombom Village Mask
Mai (or mwai) masks, represented as pairs of mythical brothers and sisters, are the teachers in the young men's initiation ceremonies. Mai masks represent the spirits of totemic names. Names are very sacred in PNG. No one actually says anyone's real name, including their own, for fear of drawing the attention of bad spirits or sorcerers. During initiations, the elder who wears the mai mask becomes a spirit teacher who may say the important totemic names without evoking personal risk. He tells and calls out names for use in magic, for healing and for other spiritual uses.

These names number in the thousands and only powerful men have this knowledge. A tumbuna mask represents an actual, often recent, ancestor. The Mindinbit tumbuna mask has savi style eyes, so the ancestor must have been considered a powerful person. AT BACARA WE STAND BEHIND ALL OF OUR MERCHANDISE.

YOUR SATISFACTION IS OUR MAIN GOAL, AND WE THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING AT BACARA. This item is in the category "Antiques\Ethnographic\Pacific Islands & Oceania". The seller is "bacara-online" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped worldwide.

  • Color: Light Wood Tone
  • Style: Pacific Islands & Oceania
  • Material: Wood
  • Original/Reproduction: Original

Mask Papua New Guinea Mwai Wombom Village Mask