Hollowed wooden mask, with lines etched into the wood to form facial features, with the eyes and lips cut out. A possible mud man mask.
Mud man masks are worn by the Holosa in the Asaro tribe, in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea.
There are various narratives on the origin of the masks. In one, Bukiro Pote, worn the masks to spread fear among an enemy tribe. Mud man widely presented in relation to warfare, death, and ghostly apparitions, exoticising their apperance. Others note that covering the face and body with clay was related to mourning and grief.
Mudmen important local cultural practice, symbol of identity and source of income. Asaro mudmen performances and masks as a cultural tourism product, for economic empowerment and source of income.
