Maiden spirit mask "agbogho mmwo"
Click here to view a larger version of the imageLot: 178
Auction 103Maiden spirit mask "agbogho mmwo"
Nigeria, Igbo
Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
---|---|---|
Fred Tymoshenko, Toronto, Canada | H: 16.1 inch |
2500 EUR
plus 27 % commission, VAT, transport and insurance |
wood, pigments, base
With these masks, the Igbo institutionalize and glorify youthful female beauty, and meld it with the power of venerable ancestors. All Igbo regions create and dance these masks even if the best known come from the northwest quarter of Igboland. Their white coloration is usually said to to refer to ancestral spirits.