East Africa, Southern Tanzania or northeastern Mozambique, Makonde, ca. early 20th century. A Makonde fertility body mask rendered in the form of a pregnant belly that is also known as a lipiko mask, meaning "helmet mask" - finely carved from a single piece of wood and delineated with rounded breasts and pronounced nipples, a voluminous belly with a round navel as well as incised geometric motifs adorning the mid-section. Six perforations, three on each side, were intended for strapping the body mask onto its wearer. A matrilineal society, the Makonde have traditionally traced ancestry through the female line. This practice derives from their creation story which tells of the primordial man who sculpted a woman from wood. This women came to life and birthed the man's children; hence, she became the revered ancestress of the Makonde people and an important symbol of fertility and protection. Lipiko, also called mapiko, is the term used for the dances in which masks like this example are worn as well as a term for the masquerade dancers themselves. A magnificent example! Size: 8.125" L x 13.625" W x 24.75" H (20.6 cm x 34.6 cm x 62.9 cm)

Provenance: private J.H. collection, Beaverton, Oregon, USA, acquired in April 2006; ex-private New York, USA collection

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#154739

There is evidence of repair, including tribal repair, to the right proper side of the stomach along the upper right rim of the mask as well as a few stable hairline cracks most visible on the verso. Normal surface wear with some scuffs/nicks, abrasions, and loss to pigmentation as shown.