Mask "anbai" or "nyangbai" ·  Liberia, Toma, Macenta area · ID: 3039556

Description

wood, strongly encrusted greyish brown patina, of characteristic form: large and flat, with protruding forehead and strong brow ridge, bulky nose with tiny eyes to either side, large suface of the face accentuated by the absence of a mouth, crowned by two horns and plug with bifurcated tip, two packages filled with magical mass and brass bell on the head, slightly dam., minor missing parts, fine cracks, traces of insect caused damage, thick encrusted sacrificial patina peeled off in parts, metal base;
the Loma, or Toma, live on both sides of the Liberia/Guinea border. The principal men’s initiation society throughout the area is the “poro” society.
The wooden “angbai” or “nyangbai” mask represents one of several incarnations of the Supreme Being “ngafui” or “afui”. The “angbai” customarily accompanies the young future initiates into the forest, the sacred and exclusive “poro” domain. On completion of the initiation rituals, the “angbai” then escorts the young men back to the village. The mask-wearer’s impressive costume is made of feline or monkey furs.

The object Mask “anbai” or “nyangbai” with the object ID 3039556 was last part of the auction 81st Tribal Art Auction at October 31, 2015 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 169 achieved a sales price of EUR 7,000.

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.

Comparing literature

Carey, Neil, Masks of the Koranko Poro, Amherst 2007, p. 29 Grootaers, Jan-Lodewijk & Alexander Bortolot, Visions from the Forest, Seattle, London 2014, ill. 25