Mask "agbogho mmwo" ("maiden spirit") ·  Nigeria, Igbo · ID: 3037362

Description

heavy wood, kaolin, black and red paint, yellow ochre in some places, elaborate tripartite coiffure in three bows with many smaller lobes, on both sides carved with combs, whitened facial plane with a red mouth and blackened scarifications, remains of a cloth costume backside, slightly dam.;
the type of mask symbolizes the ideals of juvenile female beauty. It belongs
to the men’s society “mmwo” and is worn by young men on harvest festivities (“yams rites”) and on annual ceremonies in honour of the earth spirit “ane”, as well as on pompous funerals of members of the society. The dancers were clothed in coloured tight costumes with false breasts.

Comparing literature

Cole, Herbert M. & Chike C. Aniakor, Chike, Igbo Arts, Los Angeles 1984, p. 120 ff.