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The masks below have been sold and are left here for educational and research purposes.
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Photographs © Tim Hamill
TOMA, LANDAI MASKS, Guinea
These brooding, often quite large, masks represent a forest spirit, Landai.
Masks like these 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 these Toma masks show no evidence of age
or use and were probably made to be sold.
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