TITLE: Asaro Mudmen Mask
TYPE: helmet mask
GENERAL REGION: Oceania
COUNTRY: Papua New Guinea
SUBREGION: Eastern Highlands
ETHNICITY: Melanesian (Asaro)
DESCRIPTION: Mudmen (Holosa) Mask
CATALOG ID: N/A
MAKER: N/A
CEREMONY: Holosa
FUNCTION: Entertainment; Protection/Purification
AGE: N/A
MAIN MATERIAL: clay
OTHER MATERIALS: N/A
The holosa or mudmen ritual of the Asaro people tells the story of an historical battle in which the Asaro people emerged victorious after emerging from the Asaro River covered in mud and appearing to their enemies as spirits, causing the enemies to flee. The masks are sculpted by each wearer and left to dry in the eaves of their houses. As a result, they are relatively soft (unfired) and brittle.
The Museum’s collection does not currently include a representative example of a holosa mask.
