Eharo mask (E26260)

Orokolo, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea. Cane, pith, bark cloth, natural pigment - For the Elema people of the Gulf of Papua, the mens ravi or longhouse was a central part of ceremonial life. Carved ancestral boards, masks, figures and drums were created and held in the longhouse for ceremonial purposes. Eharo masks are not part of sacred ceremonies; rather, they relate to humorous clan myths performed by dancers.