Nigerian Mama Abstract Mangam Bushcow Wood Mask

West Africa, Nigeria, Benue River Valley, Mama peoples. A carved wood bush cow headdress known as a mangam, worn horizontally on top of the head. The horns curve back from the face and join to form a large open ring, and a notched ridge runs down the center of the flat face to a long, tapering muzzle split at the end into an open mouth. A domed cap behind the face would rest on the wearer's brow. Mama bush cow masks are highly abstracted images of the wild forest buffalo, emphasizing its aggressive power, and were worn with a heavy fiber costume in performances of the men’s mangam society, which honored the ancestors. Item # 202915

Estimate:£150.06

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