Female mask "ngoin" ·  Cameroon Grassfields, Bamileke · ID: 3040587

Description

wood, rich brown shiny patina, narrow elongated face with large eyes, coiffure with raised middle part, where an oval piece was cut out and reinserted once again, slightly dam., vertical crack (left face half);
the helmet-shaped mask was worn on the head and the face of the dancer covered with fabric. The complete traditional vestment consists of a garment of blue and white royal cloth and a flywhisk. The mask dances in short contained steps appropriate to her noble image. “Ngoin” usually follows the leader mask in the dance sequence which includes several “ngoin” masks to complement the male human masks.