Ticuna masker - Ticuna - Ticuna - Brazil

Mask with attire from Brazil by the Ticuna.

The Ticuna mask is used in initiation rituals such as during the Festival of the New Girl. The masks represent entities that govern the elements, fauna, and flora. At the Festival of the New Girl, the Indians honor these entities and enact them in the form of masks. The entities ensure that the soil becomes fertile so that crops and fruits can grow. That hunting and fishing proceed vigorously. They take care of the well-being and happiness of the community.
The mask is mainly made from tree bark; other materials used: wood, natural fibers and dyes. The costumes can be worn by both adults and children.
Collected locally in the early 1980s.
In Brazil, the Ticuna mainly live along the banks of the Upper Solimões River in the state of Amazonas.
Two parts: mask and lower body
Dimensions: mask about 50 by 50 cm plus straw-hair
Body: about 110 by 30 cm plus straw-hair