Masks of the Koranko Poro: Form, Function and Comparison to the Toma

The works of Dr. Neil Carey expand our understanding of the art and traditions of the Poro men's secret society of West Africa. This book reveals that, contrary to Western teaching, the Koranko people of Sierra Leone and Guinea do indeed use Bush Spirit masks in their secret Poro rituals. Most of these masks are body masks, rather than horizontal masks or face masks. In addition to presenting a previously unpublished and important set of Koranko masks from all grade levels of Poro, the author also differentiates between the styles of Koranko masks and those of the neighboring Toma. Finally, Carey discusses previously published Koranko masks that have historically been misattributed to the Toma. Included are 13 photographs of previously unpublished objects, as well as 10 photographs of reattributed published masks.
The importance of this book extends far beyond the traditional arts of the Koranko and the Toma, for like all of this author's work, it gives us a better understanding of the Poro, the original traditional religion of much of sub-Saharan West Africa, its secret rituals, and the uses of material art in its social-political-religious role as an agent of social control. One of only a handful of volumes on Koranko life and culture, it is the only one dedicated to their art and masking traditions. As an added benefit, it also serves as a primer on the Poro and on Loma/Toma art and culture.