Healer's society cap mask "noo"
Allan Stone, New York, USA (acquired 1966)
Sotheby’s, New York, 15 November 2013, lot 60
Description
wood, matt blackish brown patina, remains of a coating with resin/clay, carved with buffalo horns, roosters crown and animal ears, drilled holes around the lower rim, remains of cord material, slightly dam., crack, metal base;
the horns of the West African wild buffalo or bush-cow are the principle insignia of the elite “nookaariga” society of healers. Its members are traditional herbalists and physicians. They undergo a rigorous training which includes learning the healing properties of a wide variety of plants and how to treat and cure an astonishing range of diseases and physical injuries. At the same time they are accredited with a mystical power that enables them to become transformed into the mythical bush-cow and original transmitter of healing knowledge. “To change into a wild bush-cow” is the literal meaning of “nookaariga”.