Zemanek-Münster

Zoomorphic mask "mangam"

Nigeria, Mama
sold EUR 2,800
Provenance
Dirk Vonck, Brussels, Belgium
Hans Reinmöller, Ratingen, Germany (1994)
Size
H: 42 cm
H: 16.5 inch

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.


Comparing literature

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

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