Mask "nne mgbo" · Nigeria, Igbo-Afikpo · ID: 3033569
not available anymore
Size
H: 26 cm
H: 10.2 inch
Description
wood, dark brown patina, kaolin, attached to a grass fibre base, prominent nose and “smiling” mouth, pierced around the rim, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion, on base;
this mask is “nne mgbo”, “mother of ngbo”, and represents the mother of the maiden mask. The maidens are the centerpiece of the entire spectacle, worn by tall men wearing wigs and walking around with long strides. Their performance is a parody on femaleness and thereby reinforces maculinity.
Comparing literature
Roberts, Allen F., The shape of belief, San Francisco 1997, p. 74, ill. 41