Plank Mask Item Number: 3420/28 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Plank mask with circular face and tall, vertical superstructure. The face has two large concentric circle eyes outlined in repeating triangles, and a large tubular mouth. A diamond-shaped panel, with a black rectangle and off-centred white circle within, connects the mask to the long rectangular board. The board is painted with geometric shapes in dark brown-red and black on a white background. Surmounted by a crescent-shape.
Adopted from the neighbouring Nunuma and Winiama peoples in the early twentieth century, the nwantantay masks are performed at initiation ceremonies, funerals, and secular entertainments. Vigorous, competitive performers grip a rope fastened along the mask’s back using their teeth, twisting and repeatedly tilting the towering plank, while twirling long fibre costumes to imitate their associated insect spirits. Composed of a circular face and upper plank, surmounted by a crescent moon, dense design elements proliferate with meaning: eyes reference owls; upturned beaks refer to hornbills, birds that are especially rich in nyama; checker-board patterns evoke the black and white hides sat on by elders and youths, respectively; while other symbols signify lineage affiliation.