Buffalo mask "nam gbalang" · Nigeria, Chamba · ID: 3043354
Wolf-Bernard Müller, Krefeld, Germany
Description
wood, dark brown patina, red paint, rep. (small breakage), traces of abrasion.
“Nam gbalang” could be translated as something like “unruly thing of the bush”. Each mask has a personal name as well, the male ones (wich are red) being called “chief” something and the female ones (which are black) being called “mother” something. Both colours mean danger since red is associated with blood and black with night and witches. These masks were danced during various ceremonies, e. g. funerals, passage rites, enthronization of a new king.
The object Buffalo mask “nam gbalang” with the object ID 3043354 was last part of the auction 88th Tribal Art Auction at March 10, 2018 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 270 achieved a sales price of EUR 800.
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Comparing literature
Evers, Christophe, Art of the Upper Benue River, Brussels 2003, p. 26