Mask "geh-naw" ·  Libéria, Bassa · ID: 3032162

Description

light brown wood, black patina, hollowed facial plane, elaborate coiffure in seven lobes, pierced around the rim, min. dam., traces of abrasion;
the mask type “geh-naw” belongs to a secret society called “chu-den-zo”. It used to entertain the audience when the initiated boys returned from the bush camp or when distinguished guests came to visit the village. The dancer wore the mask on the forehead, looking through a gap within the cloth, veiling his head and the upper part of his body.

Littérature comparée

Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Lexikon Afrikanische Kunst und Kultur, München, Berlin 1994, p. 62