Body mask "ndimu" ·  Tanzanie, Makondé · ID: 3032252

Description

light wood, reddish brown patina, showing the body of a pregnant woman in a nearly naturalistic way, incised scarification marks, rep., dam., traces of abrasion;
the female body mask was used at initiation rites. It was part of the costume of a “ndimu” mask dancer, called “amwalin-dembo”, depicting a pregnant woman. It was always worn by a male dancer and was supplemented by a face mask. The dance demonstrated the pain of giving birth.

Littérature comparée

Phillips, Tom (Hg.), Afrika, Die Kunst eines Kontinents, Berlin 1996, p. 175