Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

Tolai men, historically, took part in men’s societies, one of the best known being the Iniet. While the German colonials tried to suppress this old society, it was able to continue by going underground. As a result of this suppression and the society’s secret nature, it is unclear how it worked before European contact. One standard practice of the Iniet was the commemoration of ancestors, an important task, as the ancestors would, if properly commemorated, help the living.

One way of commemorating an ancestor was with a lor mask, which appeared only at night along with drums and singing. A lor mask represents an important ancestor and was created with the frontal facial bones and the hair of the ancestor. While these objects are no longer used by the Tolai peoples for their original function, they are kept and retain powerful spiritual connections to ancestors.