Artwork Page for Face Mask (Agboho mmuo)

Details / Information for Face Mask (Agboho mmuo)

Face Mask (Agboho mmuo)

possibly early 1900s

Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Igbo-style maker

Medium
Wood, pigment, plant fiber, and cotton
Measurements
Overall: 16.9 x 11 x 6 cm (6 5/8 x 4 5/16 x 2 3/8 in.)
Weight: 60 g (2.12 oz.)
Credit Line
Gift of Kim Sherwin 2016.10
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

Though always worn by a man, the imagery of this mask celebrates youthful female beauty.

Description

This small face mask would have been complemented by a separate, elaborate superstructure covered with cotton cloth. Though always worn by a man, the image glorifies youthful female beauty. Derived from chalky clay, the white coloration of the face refers to ancestral spirits whose powers the mask evokes. The masks dance in festivals that generally celebrate the dead but also appear at funerals to escort the deceased to the land of the ancestors.

Face Mask (Agboho mmuo)

possibly early 1900s

Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Igbo-style maker

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