Africa, Nigeria, Igbo people, early 20th century CE. This is a wood mask with a human face and a tall, flat crest, all painted in shades of red, white, and black. The face has exaggerated nose and open jutting mouth, with narrow eye slits; the crest resembles a cricket bat. The face has paint on int that might indicate tattooing or scars. The "mba" mask, like this one, often appears in pairs -- one representing a boy dressed as a girl, and one representing the girl whom he is satirizing. The Igbo use masks as incarnated spirits of the dead; this is why they are painted white, which is the color of the spirit. Masked dancers would wear elaborate costumes, including being sometimes covered with mirrors, and would don the masks and costumes so that their true identities disappeared, subsumed by the spirit they inhabited. Size: 3.75" W x 13" H (9.5 cm x 33 cm)

Provenance: Ex- Adeon Gallery, Nick Poolos, Chicago, IL acquired before 1970.

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#113234

Expected wear, including some losses to the