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Coaxing the Spirits to Dance: Art of the Papuan Gulf

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Enlarge Francis Edgar Williams (Australian, 1893–1943)
Women Dancing with Hevehe Masks along the Beach, February 1932
Papuan Gulf, Elema area, Orokolo Village
Resin-coated print from original negative; 9 1/2 x 12 in. (24.1 x 30.5 cm)
Courtesy of Museum Board of South Australia, Adelaide

F. E. Williams photographed, in parts, the entire ritual cycle related to hevehe masks in Orokolo. The cycle began with the construction of a new men's longhouse, where the masks were made in secret. Feasts marked different stages in the cycle. When the masks finally appeared in the village, women immediately recognized the masks that were important to their clan and danced alongside them.

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