Toma Angbai Mask

Attributed to the Toma people of present-day Guinea and Liberia, this wooden mask is carved in the style of the Angbai mask, used by the Poro initiation society to depict the forest spirit Landai. Fearsome masks that are sometimes over five feet long, Angbai masks are donned by Poro elders during a rite when young initiates are "devoured" by the spirit Landai, to be reborn as men.

Minimally designed to convey strength and authority, Angbai masks typically lack pronounced facial features, except for a sharp brow and nose. The forehead is etched with decorative motifs and topped by short horns. Textured by a dark patina, this oblong mask is a fantastic work of abstract sculpture and commands its surroundings with a stoic gaze.