Baining Helmet Mask ( Kavat )

The Baining culture of Papua New Guinea’s East New Britain Province is renowned for its production of largely white, red and black pigmented bark cloth masks used in the fire ceremony known as, Engini. These spectacular ceremonies are held around large bonfires and continue until dawn.   There is a strict protocol on how the dances can be performed. The masks are made exclusively by men, with fire dances serving—in addition to the other functions of the ceremony—as an initiation ritual between three distinct age-initiation tiers. Children begin by creating small lingan barkcloth headdresses, young men create kavat with both men and women wearing these elaborate masks. Once the mask is worn, the dancer becomes a spirit figure, and it is believed that during the night, additional dancers enter the ceremony from the spirit world.  In addition to the role played in the initiation of young men, the evening Engini are performed to prevent these spirits from causing havoc in the physical realm.

Size 144cm high x 77cm high x 79cm deep