But the Komunive men are alive, and the same is true of their culture – which will be showcased this week in a residence at the Australian Museum in central Sydney.

The tribe, from the Asaro Valley in Papua New Guinea's eastern highlands, have rich traditions that include putting on an eerie show intended to intimidate their enemies. Men don the masks, rub white clay on their bodies, elongate their fingers with bamboo, and play bamboo flutes as they perform a dance for about five minutes.

Each mask, known as a Holosa, is made from coils of white clay sourced from rich local deposits. Just two senior men sculpt the intricate faces, using their hands and some wooden tools in a process that can take up to a day before the mask is left to air dry.

Steven Alderton, the director of programs, exhibitions and cultural collections at the Australian Museum, said the Komunive tribe was approached about six months ago to make their first trip out of PNG. Four people, of several hundred in Komunive, were chosen to make the journey.

The men, including one of the Komunive mask-makers, arrived in Sydney on Friday night accompanied by two documentary filmmakers who captured their first plane journey. Until then, the largest city they had seen was nearby Goroka, which has a population of about 20,000 people.

The group brought generous amounts of clay from the Asaro Valley, which will be used to make four masks while they are at the Australian Museum this week. The masks – sculpted by the most senior of the men, while the others prepare the coils of clay – will be added to the museum's sprawling collection, which is the largest of PNG artefacts in the world.

Mr Alderton said everyone should grasp the rare opportunity to learn about Komunive and its people.

"It's great to bring people like the Asaro to Sydney and for people to meet, talk and interact with our neighbours from Papua New Guinea," he said.