Toma (Loma, Lorma), Liberia, Sierra
Leone, Guinea
Landai initiation mask. Settled in the
northwest of Liberia, western Sierra Leone, and eastern Guinea, the 200,000 Toma live in
the high-altitude rain forest. They organized their political and religious
life around the poro association. This society was, among other things, responsible
for the initiation of young boys that took place in the forest, which is particularly
dense in the land of the Toma. The landai
masks symbolized the legendary ancestor and spoke a secret language. They appeared in
public when it was time for male youths to be initiated into adulthood. Its image represented the major forest spirit which made
manifest the power of poro; one of its duties was symbolically to devour boys at the end
of their initiation period in order to give them rebirth as men. Only men wore these
masks, which were fitted over the wearer's head horizontally.
Material: wood
Size: 23 ½x.8x 3