Maiden spirit mask "agbogho mmwo" · Nigeria, Igbo · ID: 3052058
Starting price
EUR 2,000
Estimated price
EUR 4,000
Provenance
Lempertz, Brussels, Belgium, 28 April 2007, lot 98Werner & Lotte Krause, Hamburg, Germany
Size
H: 59 cm
H: 23.2 inch
Description
wood, pigments, handwritten inventory no. “557”, rest., base
This mask type symbolizes the ideals of youthful female beauty. It belongs to the “mmwo” men’s society and is performed exclusively by men. It is worn during harvest festivals (the “yam cult”), the annual ceremonies in honor of the earth spirit “Ane”, and at elaborate funerals of society members. The mask is complemented by a colorful, tight-fitting costume with false breasts.
Comparing literature
Fagaly, William, Ancestors of Congo Square, New Orleans 2011, p. 212 f.
Publications
AHDRC: 0094394