Artwork Page for Headdress (Zigiren-Wɔndɛ)

Details / Information for Headdress (Zigiren-Wɔndɛ)

Headdress (Zigiren-Wɔndɛ)

early to mid-1900s

Africa, West Africa, Guinea, Baga-style carver

Medium
Wood, glass beads, upholstery studs, and natural fiber
Measurements
Overall: 52.1 x 15.6 cm (20 1/2 x 6 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Edgar A. Hahn 1964.376
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
108A African
Print
?

Did You Know?

The performer of this mask grasped the projecting "legs" to steady it while balancing it on his head.

Description

Owned and used for entertainment by young unmarried men only among some Baga subgroups, this type of headdress is said to represent the Maiden, a beautiful young woman. With a beaded necklace and eyes embellished with furniture tacks, the headdress was attached to a cone-shaped costume consisting of colorful cloths and raffia and constructed over a bamboo armature.
A dark-brown wood sculpture depicts a vertical figure with weathered surfaces. At the top, a head features a pointed crown and eyes made of metallic studs. Small blue glass beads adorn a necklace below a long neck with horizontal ridges. Two large, pointed breasts jut forward from the chest above a thick, cylindrical base that is rough-hewn with vertical cracks at the bottom.

Headdress (Zigiren-Wɔndɛ)

early to mid-1900s

Africa, West Africa, Guinea, Baga-style carver

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork