Igbo, Girl's Mask
60 cm (2'), Nigeria

The Igbo people are the third largest ethnic group in Nigeria. Their culture is rich with traditional festivals. Once a year, the festival of the "Glory of the Girls" is held in honor of the protective deity, during which the masked figure of the spirit of a beautiful girl from the afterlife appears. This type of mask, known as "Agbogho Mmwo," symbolizes an idealized female being, characterized by magnificent hairstyles and headgear. The mask depicted here belongs to this category and is distinguished by its exceptional structure. A polychrome, white-painted face with tribal tattoos, surrounded by a curly hairstyle, is crowned by a fan-like attachment, on which a hornbill bird sits. A second, rear-mounted horn symbol completes the overall impression of this extraordinary mask. Wear marks show that this mask has been danced in. Collection: G.F. Vesely, AT