Helmet mask "giphogo"

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Description

wood, matt patina, polychrome paint, narrow slit eyes and snout-shaped nose, disc-shaped projecting beard with zigzag ornaments along rim, knob-like projection with drilled hole on the head, min. dam., fine cracks, small missing parts, slight traces of abrasion;
the mask “giphogo” forms part of the chief’s treasure, and is kept in his residence together with other sacred objects. The masked dancer represents the political leader and symbolizes ancestral power.

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Littérature comparée

Herreman, Frank & Constantijn Petridis (ed.), Face of the Spirits, Tervuren 1993, p. 73

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