Helmet mask Agbogho mmwo Igbo Nigeria Wood,... Lot 24

Helmet mask Agbogho mmwo Igbo Nigeria Wood, pigments, fabric H.: 37 cm. Mask of a young girl with an emaciated face with ochre tints, rhythmed by scarifications in relief on the forehead, cheeks and temples. The bushy nose and the mouth with fleshy lips are the witnesses of an ideal combining purity, obedience and generosity. Four strands of braided hair are raised above the head. This type of mask was worn by male dancers during a ceremony called Udo agbogho or "the fame of the virgin maidens" that took place every year in the northern part of Igbo country. The mask represents the young woman in her prime beauty Ancient object, authentic Consultant: Jean-Pierre Lacoste