Funerary dance mask (tatanua), worn during special commemorative festivals (malagan)

This dance mask, representing an ancestral spirit, was made for a 'malagan' ceremony. These communal festivals were to commemorate important members of the community, and to give their spirits a good send-off.

The mask shows a stylised human-like face, with sharp teeth, lifelike eyes made from parts of snails, and elaborate headgear.

Malagan ceremonies took several days, cost a lot to organise, and often took place several years after an important person died. Dances, at which the spirits of ancestors were invoked, formed part of the complex ceremonies.

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