Toma wooden Passport Mask, Liberia, African - eBay (item 370285017417 end time Dec-03-09 11:34:56 PST)


This listing has ended. Item:Toma wooden Passport Mask, Liberia, African

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Africa Direct

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	Toma wooden Passport Mask, Liberia, African Type of Object: Miniature mask Ethnic Group: Toma Country of Origin: Liberia, Guinea Materials: Wood, pigment Approximate Age: Late 20th Century Dimensions: 8 inches Overall Condition: Fair Damage, Repair: General wear, brokjen horns Additional Information: Miniature masks often called "passport"masks or "Ma", in Dan language, are found among the various peoples of Liberia, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone including the Dan, Yacouba, Gio, Wenion (We, Guere), Geh, Toma or Loma, Konor, Bete, and Grebo. Sharing a wide variety of uses they are the personal masks of initiated adult men and would be carried on their person or kept on personal shrines in the home. They serve to mark the passage of an initiate into the men's secret society and his elevation into the higher ranks. The small masks may be presented at meetings of senior members of the men's society to indicate their right to be present and participate in the deliberations. Diviner’s would recommend that small masks be given to children to wear to ward off evil witches or cure illnesses. Small masks placed on shrines would receive the offerings and prayers of their owners and in time would accumulate a rich patination of different substances that could obscure their features. Most of these miniature masks mirror the shape and features of the larger masks that they were modeled after. Often delicate feminine features are carved onto the small masks with great concern for detail and accuracy similar to the larger danced masks. And like the full-sized dance masks the smaller masks reflect the great diversity of styles and forms of the larger masks. In addition to the wooden carved masks other examples of these miniature masks are cast in bronze. This example comes from the Toma. The Toma live in the high rainforests of NW Liberia and Eastern Guinea. Like many of the other cultural groups in this area, the Toma engage in rituals associated with the "poro" society. Poro is a widespread cult, strictly for men, and is responsible for the initiation of young boys into manhood. The Toma use the large and impressive "landai" masks to summon the bush spirits when the boys enter the forest prior to their circumcision, and then appear again when the boys emerge from the forest--to symbolically devour them, and then spit them out, symbolizing their rebirth as men.The present object is a very small version of such masks. 041887 All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2006 Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers! Please visit our About Us page.
	Africa Direct, Inc. is a Platinum Power Seller which has been selling on eBay since 1997 and has received more than 30,000 positive feedbacks. It is owned by Eliza and Sara, who began the company after spending a year wandering southern Africa in a camper van with their multi-racial family. They have been honored with eBay's Hall of Fame award, and by eBay Giving Works, through which they have raised more than $30,000 in charity auctions. Customer Service: We treasure our many long term customers, and will try to make you one of them! If you have problems, please tell us... we care! Handling Time: We ship daily except Sundays and holidays. Most orders go out the same day, and all go out within 48 hours. Returns: We want you to be happy with your purchase. You're welcome to return an item within seven days in the same condition you received it--just let us know you're returning it. You may have either a credit or a refund for your purchase price, not including shipping both ways. If your original payment was made through PayPal, we'll refund you through PayPal; if you paid us directly with your credit card, we'll refund the credit card. Combining Shipping: You are welcome to wait to pay, and to combine multiple items for shipping. We ask that you keep each order to ten days or ten items, whichever comes first--then start another order. When you're ready, just send us a list of item numbers and we'll send you an invoice. You can pay by Paypal or credit card. U.S. Shipping: We use a professional shipper who has worked with us for ten years. He and his staff take great care in packing our artwork, much of which is antique, irregularly-shaped, and fragile. The cost of his labor and the special packing materials he uses is reflected in our handling price. Our U.S. shipping charges also include insurance; we self-insure on smaller orders. For these reasons, our shipping and handling charges may be more than the price of postage. International Shipping: We ship dozens of international orders each week, to customers on every continent except Antarctica! The shipping charges included in our listings are for U.S. orders. Contact us for shipping charges to your country. We offer uninsured USPS First Class airmail, insured Priority airmail, and insured Express airmail to most parts of the world, depending on the weight, volume, and value of an item. We also ship via FedEx or DHL on request. Import duties, taxes, and charges are NOT INCLUDED in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding / buying. These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up -- do not confuse them for additional shipping charges. And please do not ask us to mark merchandise values below value or mark items as "gifts"--U.S. and International government regulations prohibit such behavior. Newsletter, previews and special offers: Want to be on our mailing list? Just ask!

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Item location: Denver, CO, United States

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Shipping and handling	To	Service	Estimated delivery*
US $7.90	United States	UPS Ground	2-7 business days after seller receives cleared payment

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Will usually ship within 1 business day of receiving cleared payment.	Seller charges sales tax for items shipped to: CO (7.72%).

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7 days after the buyer receives it

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We want you to be happy with your purchase. You're welcome to return an item within seven days in the same condition you received itjust let us know youre returning it. You may have either a credit or a refund for your purchase price, not including shipping both ways.  If your original payment was made through PayPal, well refund you through PayPal; if you paid us directly with your credit card, well refund the credit card.

The buyer is responsible for return shipping costs.

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You are welcome to combine items to save on shipping--just send us a list and pay all at once. We ask that you keep each order to 10 items or 10 days, whichever comes first-then start another. International customers, contact us for shipping. Thanks for buying from us! Our shipping charge includes professional packing and insurance. We self-insure on smaller purchases for U.S. shipping.