Zoomorphic mask "mangam" · Nigeria, Kantana (Mama) · ID: 3040872
Hans Reinmöller, Ratingen, Germany (1994)
Description
wood, red patina, dark paint remains, of characteristic stylized form with projecting horns describing a round form and open mouth, rep. (right horn tip), fine cracks, 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 3040872 was part of the auction 84th Tribal Art Auction on November 5, 2016. The object with the lot number 308 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,800 with an asking price of EUR 2,000.
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Comparing literature
Fagg, William & Herbert List, Bildwerke aus Nigeria, München 1963, ill. 137