AFRICAN MASK – CCO400

Material: wood

Dimensions: cm 46 x cm 22 x cm 27

Country of origin: Nigeria

Expressive beautifully carved wooden African mask of the Igbo tribe of southeastern Nigeria. The facial features are angular, the nose is sharp, the eyes half closed, but the whole looks harmonious. On the top of the head is a bird figure. Very nice white and brown patina.

Curious Note : The Igbo occupy the highlands of southeastern Nigeria along the Niger River. They have a great variety of art forms and cultural practices because the population is decentralized into so many different groups. Each place in the Igbo tribe area has different holidays and different corresponding masks. Masks are employed in a variety of dramas: social satires, sacred rituals (for ancestors and invocations of the gods), initiations, second burials and public holidays. However, there are two types of masks that are most important among the Igbo, those that idealize the qualities of young women and those that represent the powers of men.