Nigeria, Igbo people, early 20th century CE. This is a delightful wood mask with a human face and a tall, flat crest, all painted in shades of red, white, and black. There is a woven backing which was used to attach it to the head. The face has exaggerated nose and jutting mouth, with narrow eye slits; the crest resembles a cricket bat. 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. 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. Size: 3.5" W x 18" H (8.9 cm x 45.7 cm)

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

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#113223

Expected wear, but nice shape and condition