Zoomorphic mask "mangam"
Nigéria, Mama
Vendu
2 400 €
Provenance
Dutch Private Collection, AmsterdamTaille
H: 52 cm
H: 20.5 inch
Description
light brown wood, partly encrusted reddish patina, crowned by buffalo horns, pierced around the rim with a rattan ring attached to the holes, min. dam., cracks, water spot, small missing parts, 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.