Igbo Agbogho Mmuo Mask – without stand - Igbo - Nigeria (No reserve price)

Elsewhere this is normally called a 'Maiden Spirit' mask. Although the mask portrays a young woman, it is worn exclusively by young men. The dancers often wear tight, colorful costumes with it and imitate the graceful, delicate movements of young women. The white color on the face (traditionally applied with kaolin clay or chalk) is essential. Among the Igbo, white symbolizes the spiritual world and the ancestors; it indicates that the dancer is not depicting a living woman, but a transcendent spirit.

Estimate:£1.67

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