Image: Tago mask from Papua New Guinea
Tago masks represent the ghosts of important ancestors. Every ten to twelve years, a year-long series of ceremonies remind each clan of its ancestral connections, with two major performances celebrating the arrival and departure of the ghosts. When men wear the tago mask, a taboo is placed on all coconuts for one year and there must be peace in the village.
- Photographer:
- Carl Bento
- Rights:
- © Australian Museum
Additional information
Australian Museum Collection E1904
Tami Island, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea
Purchased in 1888
Wood, red ochre, black paint, lime
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