Toma mask, Landai - Lot 66

Toma mask, Landai Liberia Wood, metal H. 95 cm Provenance : - Allan Stone Collection, New York - Private collection The Toma and Loma populations occupy the border areas between Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Their social existence is closely linked to the Poro, a politico-religious society of male initiates. Held every seven years, the initiation rite associated with the Poro involves numerous masks, each with a different symbolism and function. The Landai (or Dandai) mask is the most spectacular manifestation of the ceremony. The work presented here is a striking example of this: composed according to Toma aesthetics - a long face with a rounded forehead stretching below a deeply hollowed eyebrow - this mask stands out for its spectacular dimensions. Part human spirit, part crocodile, its jaw opens onto a double row of red-painted teeth. Confronted with Landai, the novice was symbolically "devoured" by the latter, before being reborn as an initiate.