Zoomorphic mask "mangam" ·  Nigeria, Kantana (Mama) · ID: 3034477

Description

light brown wood, partly encrusted reddish patina, crowned by buffalo horns, pierced around the rim with a rattan ring attached to the holes, min. dam., cracks, water spot, small missing parts, slight traces of abrasion;
the Mama use wooden dance crests carved as stylized bushcows or antelopes in the “mangam” masquerade, when they enlisted the aid of the ancestral spirits to ensure a successful harvest. The dancers wear these masks, while their whole body is covered by a garment of grass.

The object Zoomorphic mask “mangam” with the object ID 3034477 was part of the auction 72nd tribal art auction on March 9, 2013. The object with the lot number 350 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,400 with an asking price of EUR 2,000.

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Comparing literature

Fagg, William, List, Herbert, Bildwerke aus Nigeria, München 1963, ill. 137