Maiden spirit face mask "agbogho mmwo" ·  Nigéria, Igbo · ID: 3037957

Description

wood, kaolin, encrusted black paint, red and indigo blue pigment, dam., missing parts through insect caused damage backside at the rim of the mask, dam. (coiffure), cracks, abrasion of paint;
the maiden masks are danced by men, although they honor young marriageable girls and unnamed ancestors. Most subregions in Igbo country feature these maskes, each in its local style. The occasions for such masks to dance in public were many: dry-season festivals, one of which was called “the fame of maidens”; second burial ceremonies; rites honoring village deities or plentiful harvests.

Littérature comparée

Maples, Amanda (ed.), African Art from the Leslie Sacks Collection, MIlan 2013, p. 126