Male helmet mask "lipiko" of excellent quality · Mozambique (Northern) / Southern Tanzania, Mueada Plateau, Makonde-Mawia · ID: 3048239
Description
light kapok wood, colour pigments, human hair, old collection label on the inside, handwritten inscription: “Original dance mask(s) from the tribe of the Wawawia Portuguese East Africa - The teeth of these people are sharpened”; added in other handwriting “Lindi…Mozambique…v. Dr Rassler(s) 10.Sept.66”, rest.
Helmet masks “lipiko” (pl. “mapiko”) represent ancestral spirits who temporarily return to earth to appear in dances that celebrate the conclusion of the initiation rituals of adolescent boys and girls.
The object Male helmet mask “lipiko” of excellent quality with the object ID 3048239 was part of the auction 97th Auction on November 6, 2021. The object with the lot number 377 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,700 with an asking price of EUR 1,000.
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Comparing literature
Fenzl, Kristian, Makonde, Linz 1997, p. 18