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LOT 2376
African Wooden Ceremonial 'Maiden Spirit' Face Mask
IGBO TRIBE, EARLY 20TH CENTURY A.D.
22 in. (1.4 kg, 56 cm).
A mask with long narrow face, painted white; narrow protruding sharp nose; slit eyes; closed mouth; small ears, arching eyebrows, incised hair design and above this is an elaborate openwork construction in brown, yellow and white. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom South-West Nigeria, West Africa.
From an old Newbury, UK, ethnographic collection.
From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Agbogho mmwo, or "maiden spirit," masks are worn by men at festivals that honour important deities. They represent the Igbo ideal of female beauty: small, balanced features, elaborate hairstyles, and delicate tattoos. The men who dance in agbogho mmwo masks wear colourful, tight-fitting fibre costumes, entertaining the crowd with exaggerated versions of women's dances.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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African Wooden Ceremonial 'Maiden Spirit' Face Mask
Igbo Tribe, early 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
A mask with long narrow face, painted white; narrow protruding sharp nose; slit eyes; closed mouth; small ears, arching eyebrows, incised hair design and above this is an elaborate openwork construction in brown, yellow and white. 1.4 kg, 56 cm
From South-West Nigeria, West Africa. From an old Newbury, UK, ethnographic collection. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
Agbogho mmwo, or "maiden spirit," masks are worn by men at festivals that honour important deities. They represent the Igbo ideal of female beauty: small, balanced features, elaborate hairstyles, and delicate tattoos. The men who dance in agbogho mmwo masks wear colourful, tight-fitting fibre costumes, entertaining the crowd with exaggerated versions of women's dances. -
African Bi-Metal Slave Bracelet
19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Penannular in form and D-shaped in section formed from bronze and brass coils, with clubbed beast-head finials. 182 grams, 76 mm
Private collection, London, UK. -
African Wooden Ceremonial Face Mask
Dan Tribe, early-mid 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Carved in an exaggerated face with slits in the protrusive eyes, open lips, vertical crest from nose to brow; with a rolled leather headband, decorated with cowrie shells and lengths of fibre. 808 grams, 28 cm
From Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia, West Africa. From the late Brian Morley collection, 1950s. From the property of a late Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
