Male dance crest "aku wunu" · Nigeria, Jukun · ID: 3046616
not available anymore
Provenance
Moses Asch (1905-1986), New York, USA (Plattenproduzent u. a. von Woody Guthrie)Size
H: 53 cm
H: 20.9 inch
Description
wood, colour pigments, resin/ wax, seed pots (Abrus precatorius), base
This male “aku-wunu” mask is one of the most abstract known in Africa.
Worn vertically, it becomes anthropomorphic, with holes for the eyes of the dancer. Held horizontally, the mask turns into an animal with bovine horns and box-like mouth.
During the ceremony, this mask was worn halfway between the vertical and horizontal position, combining human and animal features.
Comparing literature
Fardon, Richard, Fusions, Masquerades and thought style east of the Niger-Benue confluence, London 2007, p. 103 ff.
Publications
AHDRC: 0138579