Eharo masks (literally "dance head" or "dance mask") were a type of mask used by the Elema people of the eastern

Gulf of Papua The Gulf of Papua is located in the southern coast region of New Guinea. It has a total surface area of . Geography Some of New Guinea's largest rivers, such as the Fly River, Turama River, Kikori River, Purari River, and Wawoi River flow i ...

as part of the "hevehe" cycle of masked rituals. These masks were crafted from

barkcloth Barkcloth or bark cloth is a versatile material that was once common in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. Barkcloth comes primarily from trees of the family Moraceae, including ''Broussonetia papyrifera'', ''Artocarpus altilis'', ''Artocarpus ta ...

, vegetable fiber, and various pigments. In contrast to the large sacred hevehe masks, the smaller eharo masks were meant for amusing the audience, and were used only twice during the 7 to 20 years long hevehe cycle (beginning and end). The cycle is not practiced anymore today. Some represented specific spirits, while others were simply humorous archetypes from stories. Because they are not as sacred compared to other masks, the women of the village were allowed to observe the mask's construction. These masks would later be burned about a month after the ceremonies, making it difficult to recover samples. It was during the time period of these practices that

Vailala Madness The Vailala Madness was a social movement in the Papuan Gulf, in the Territory of Papua, beginning in the later part of 1919 and diminishing after 1922. It is generally accepted as the first well-documented cargo cult, a class of millenarian reli ...

took place. In an effort many rituals were destroyed and replaced with more European-accepted ones. Although this suppression took place, the Papuan Gulf people continued to practice these cycles and display their heritage. In modern-day these masks cycle through museums, along with photo galleries such as ''Hevebe: arts of the Papuan Gulf.'' This exhibition was where audience members were introduced to the vibrant and active nature of these masks to add a new dimension aside from the immobile items seen in collections.

References

Papua New Guinean culture Masks in Papua New Guinea {{PapuaNewGuinea-stub

See also

References