Cult hook mask "garra" ·  Papua New Guinea - Hunstein Mountains, Bahinemo · ID: 3046191

Description

wood, colour pigments, base

The designation “garra” refers to sacred items connected with the male cults. The Bahinemo keep their carvings hanging in men’s cult houses, where the older pieces are believed to have magical powers to protect the villagers. Their powers can be obtained for hunting and fighting by means of certain rituals.

The hooks are seen as stylized hornbill beaks which aside of their decorative effect have a symbolic meaning. Throughout South-East Asia, the Great Hornbill is related to the soul, the ancestor and the spirit world.

Comparing literature

Craig, Barry (ed.), Living spirits with fixed abodes, Honolulu 2010, p. 153