Male helmet mask "lipiko" (pl. "mapiko") · Mozambique, Makonde · ID: 3050902
Henning Schmejkal, Holle, Germany
Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, Germany, 2 December 1996, lot 554
Werner Zintl, Worms, Germany
Description
wood, pigments, human hair,
The genre of black helmet masks with strikingly large ears and pointed chins emerged around 1977 in postcolonial Mozambique.
The mask was intended as a harmless caricature of Makonde elders, featuring comically large ears, toothless mouths, and protruding chins. They were used in a “mapiko” performance called “nijale”, which consisted of three dances. (cf. AHDRC 0087005: A. Bortolot, 2009)
The object Male helmet mask “lipiko” (pl. “mapiko”) with the object ID 3050902 was part of the auction Collectors’ Items Sale on September 24, 2025, lot number 328 at that time and is currently available for EUR 400 in Open sale.
You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.