This tunic is a superb example of hunter wear. Hunting jackets are well-known and quite sought-after, and collectors love these pieces for the fascinating array of protective and "good-luck" amulets attached to their surface. Crafted from padded cotton and embellished with leather or cotton canvas, adorned with fetish packets filled with unknown materials, ensure a successful hunt and protection during battles. These magical vests are designed to offer both physical and spiritual safeguarding, acting as conduits between the earthly realm and the spiritual world, embodying the rich heritage and cultural depth of the Toma people.
The Toma people are known for their sizable wooden masks, which seamlessly blend animal and human features. These masks have long been used in the Poro secret rites of passage and can reach up to six feet in height. Adorned with feathers, they are believed by the Toma to embody the spirits of the forest. Despite being a society primarily focused on rice farming, hunting remains a significant activity for the Toma, both culturally and economically. To this day, their traditional ceremonies incorporate elements that pay homage to the ritual of hunting.
“The Toma people of Guinea (known as Loma in Liberia) number 200,000 and live in the high-altitude rain forest lying across the Guinea-Liberia border. Artistically, their reputation rests on their Landai mask which has an articulated crocodile jaw and a flattened, stylized human face. This mask symbolically devours Poro society candidates at the end of their initiation period, after which they are revived as full members of this sodality. Some rare figures exist which are kept within each household.” - Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998. Print.
We do not recommend laundering textiles and do not accept returns of textiles that have been laundered in any manner. Even dry cleaning is too much for some of these antique textiles. For some of them, a very gentle HAND washing (NEVER MACHINE, on any setting) in cool water with a very gentle detergent works, but even then, dyes may not be colorfast, and fabric may be less strong than it appears.
Length (in): 35.0
Width (in): 45.0
Depth (in): 3.0
