Wan-rulugu (hornbill mask)
Soaring from the top of the abstracted head of an antelope, the bladelike wings of a hornbill extend skyward. Such animated, stylized combinations of animal features were crafted to evoke an important being associated with an extended family’s origin myth. Totemic masks like this wan-rulugu serve as direct lines of communication between living custodians and the family’s founders. Just before the start of the rainy season, members of the clan may apply ram (millet beer) to their mask in an appeal for an early and abundant harvest. This example was also performed during the early months of the dry season to mark the passing of prominent family members in the preceding year. The mask escorted the recently deceased into the ancestral realm.
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