EXPANDED LABEL: TOLAI HEADDRESSES
By Sophie Rose Nina Miall
‘A Third Language’ February 2023
These tokatokoi (headdresses) are made by Tolai artists from the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, also known as Gunantuna people. Predominantly made by men, the headdresses are traditionally brought to life through music and the movement of the person who wears them.
These examples were modelled on an earlier collection of headdresses worn at the National Mask Festival in Kokopo, East New Britain, in July 2011. The bottom row of headdresses shows human forms resembling the marawot figures used in male-only iniet secret societies, which act as spiritual surrogates for important local men. The headdresses on the top row incorporate the Virgin Mary who, following the introduction of Christianity to the region, replaced a customary ancestral figure. Both forms sit side by side, representing the coexistent beliefs of contemporary Tolai culture.
Connected objects
![Artwork has not been digitised or not available due to pending copyright clearence, thus not currently available online](/sites/default/files/styles/large/filesqagoma/assets/image-pending.jpg?itok=SDhxQrcw)
Mary 2011
- IATAPAL CULTURAL GROUP - Creator
![Artwork has not been digitised or not available due to pending copyright clearence, thus not currently available online](/sites/default/files/styles/large/filesqagoma/assets/image-pending.jpg?itok=SDhxQrcw)
Mary 2011
- IATAPAL CULTURAL GROUP - Creator
![Artwork has not been digitised or not available due to pending copyright clearence, thus not currently available online](/sites/default/files/styles/large/filesqagoma/assets/image-pending.jpg?itok=SDhxQrcw)
Mary 2011
- IATAPAL CULTURAL GROUP - Creator
![Artwork has not been digitised or not available due to pending copyright clearence, thus not currently available online](/sites/default/files/styles/large/filesqagoma/assets/image-pending.jpg?itok=SDhxQrcw)
Mary 2011
- IATAPAL CULTURAL GROUP - Creator
![Artwork has not been digitised or not available due to pending copyright clearence, thus not currently available online](/sites/default/files/styles/large/filesqagoma/assets/image-pending.jpg?itok=SDhxQrcw)
Mary 2011
- IATAPAL CULTURAL GROUP - Creator
![Artwork has not been digitised or not available due to pending copyright clearence, thus not currently available online](/sites/default/files/styles/large/filesqagoma/assets/image-pending.jpg?itok=SDhxQrcw)
Mary 2011
- IATAPAL CULTURAL GROUP - Creator
![Vunapaka Cultural Group Artwork Tokatokoi this artwork made of Headdress: wood, feathers, synthetic polymer paint, grass fibre, created in 2011-01-01](/system/files/styles/large/private/object-images/2011.389.001_001_3.jpg?itok=9dFpctD9)
Tokatokoi 2011
- VUNAPAKA CULTURAL GROUP - Creator
![Vunapaka Cultural Group Artwork Tokatokoi this artwork made of Headdress: wood, feathers, synthetic polymer paint, grass fibre, created in 2011-01-01](/system/files/styles/large/private/object-images/2011.389.003_001_0.jpg?itok=Z3Gwc2EK)
Tokatokoi 2011
- VUNAPAKA CULTURAL GROUP - Creator
![Vunapaka Cultural Group Artwork Tokatokoi this artwork made of Headdress: wood, feathers, synthetic polymer paint, grass fibre, created in 2011-01-01](/system/files/styles/large/private/object-images/2011.389.002_001.jpg?itok=hnT2TfSu)
Tokatokoi 2011
- VUNAPAKA CULTURAL GROUP - Creator
![Vunapaka Cultural Group Artwork Tokatokoi this artwork made of Headdress: wood, feathers, synthetic polymer paint, grass fibre, created in 2011-01-01](/system/files/styles/large/private/object-images/2011.389.004_001.jpg?itok=13MUQW4v)
Tokatokoi 2011
- VUNAPAKA CULTURAL GROUP - Creator
![Vunapaka Cultural Group Artwork Tokatokoi this artwork made of Headdress: wood, feathers, synthetic polymer paint, grass fibre, created in 2011-01-01](/system/files/styles/large/private/object-images/2011.389.005_001_0.jpg?itok=tev69DsV)
Tokatokoi 2011
- VUNAPAKA CULTURAL GROUP - Creator
![Vunapaka Cultural Group Artwork Tokatokoi this artwork made of Headdress: wood, feathers, synthetic polymer paint, grass fibre, created in 2011-01-01](/system/files/styles/large/private/object-images/2011.389.006_001_0.jpg?itok=V9dEh8Dn)
Tokatokoi 2011
- VUNAPAKA CULTURAL GROUP - Creator