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***THESE ITEMS ARE EXCLUSIVE TO AND WILL NOT BE LISTED ON THE DISCOVER AFRICAN ART WEBSITE***
Type of Object
Helmet Mask and stand
Country of Origin
Nigeria
Ethnicity
Igbo
Materials
Wood, stain, pigment, metal earring and yarn
Approximate Age
Unknown--presumed mid-20th century
Height (Inches)
28.5”
Width (Inches)
12”
Depth (Inches)
14”
Weight (Pounds/ Ounces)
7.6lbs
Overall Condition
There are some cracks on the headdress of this piece. The stand is permanently attached. See photos.
About the Maiden Spirt Mask
From around 1925 to 1935 and after, small wood facemasks were surmounted by hair-crests of varying shapes and elaboration, made from lashed sticks covered with (imported) cotton cloth. Some of these, after about 1930, became towering structure, tree-like, that included a few humanoid and animal figures. There is a sense that carvers and the artists who made these constructions delighted in over-idealizing these hairdressing elaborations, perhaps in competing with one another to see who could aggrandize them most extravagantly. In fact, crests are enormously varied; no two masks are alike. Sometimes crests are bold, sometimes delicate with dozens of tiny, intricate units; birds appear beside the crest on a few, and combs are incorporated into the design of most. The faces and their markings are also different, though most are white, with its dual symbolic value, as ghostly or ancestral, and as pure and beautiful – like white chalk or the white egret or mature fish eagle.
Source:
Cole, Herbert M. Igbo: Visions of Africa. Pg 43. Milan: 5 Continents Editions. 2013. Print.
About the Igbo People
“The 8,000,000 Igbo people – who live primarily from farming – settled in the northern part of the Niger River Delta, in an area of forests and swamps. Village councils composed of the eldest people from each family govern the tribe. Their power is counterbalanced by secret societies.”
The Mmo society is found in the North of the Cross River area. The masks here represent the spirits of the deceased maidens and their mothers. Very similar to the southern society ekpe, the masks are usually painted white with chalk symbolizing beauty and purity.
Source:
Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998. Print.
Dave Dahl—CEO Discover African Art
Keywords: Igbo, Nigeria, Niger River Delta, Face, Mask
ID# 1000590
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