Ɵ Helmet Mask, Igala, Nigeria About 1920 Hardwood... Lot 38

Ɵ Helmet Mask, Igala, Nigeria About 1920 Hardwood with very beautiful patina of use, traces of polychromy H. 30 cm Igala Helmet Mask, Nigeria H. 11 7/8 in Provenance: - Philippe Guimiot, Brussels - Private collection Despite its splendor reported by the first European travelers, the Igala kingdom culturally declined from the beginning of the nineteenth century due to the combined assaults of Islam and Christianity. If most of the important religious emblems were abandoned or destroyed, some masked dances survived for a time. Philippe Guimiot's very beautiful Igala mask is tangible proof of this. Its entirely scarified face expresses contemplation and interiority. The finely decorated headdress and neck cover show that this is an important ancestor. Ɵ This lot is a temporary import