This is a famous mask that comes from one of the islands in the New Britain chain of the Pacific Ocean. It is quite large (almost as big at the tribesman who’s wearing it) and is made of tapa cloth stretched over a light wood frame. The large masks are spectacular folk art worn at night around a bonfire built by the Uramot Baining people who live in the mountainous interior of the Gazelle Peninsula, and used during performances of the snake dance. Very dramatic, and different from anything else you can see in the world of masquerade. I hope you enjoy it.
