Face Mask (Iru mmuo), possibly early 1900s. Guinea Coast, Nigeria, Igbo people. Wood, pigment, plant fiber, and cotton; overall: x 11 x 6 cm (6 5/8 x 4 5/16 x 2 3/8 in.). 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
Face Mask (Iru mmuo), possibly early 1900s. Guinea Coast, Nigeria, Igbo people. Wood, pigment, plant fiber, and cotton; overall: x 11 x 6 cm (6 5/8 x 4 5/16 x 2 3/8 in.). 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.
Size: 2374px × 3400px
Photo credit: © CMA/BOT / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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