MUMUYE PEOPLE

Mumuye Mask

€650,00
MUMUYE PEOPLE

Mumuye Mask

€650,00
AAL1317
1

The Mumuye live in northeastern Nigeria and are considered culturally resistant.

In addition to these sought after and valued protective and ancestral figures, the Mumuye also have animal coats of arms, like the current one, which belongs to the initiation rituals of young people. These are called 'va' or 'vabo' masks and are worn over the head.

Mumuye society is divided into many age groups, and each of these groups has an animal mask made for their initiation rituals (a monkey, buffalo, elephant, leopard, etc.).

Mumuye's current crested mask depicts a monkey head. It is carved from light wood, light in color, and colored white, blue-black, and reddish-brown. It is fully molded in keeping with the traditional canon of shapes. With large round tubular eyes, between which there is a very narrow, short, and rounded nose above the open and almost funnel-shaped monkey mouth. The 'hairstyle', or, more properly, the monkey fur, is arranged to create multicolored 'trampled', or 'overlapping', shapes. Just as it is suitable for this type of mask.

A perfectly molded piece, with some faded color due to age in the white areas and edges. And still with an excellent patina of use, especially inside the 'helmet'.

Only 1 units of this product remain

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