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.

Comparing literature

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