Rare zoomorphic mask "gugwom" (crocodile?)
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94th Tribal Art AuctionRare zoomorphic mask "gugwom" (crocodile?)
Nigeria, Northern Benue, Montol / Goemai
Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
---|---|---|
Berndt Helleberg, Stockholm, Sweden | L: 23.6 inch | This object is not available anymore. |
wood, red and white pigment, missing part, insect caused damage, base
The mask was worn horizontally on the head. Arnold Rubin (1988) reported that the mask type appeared on harvest festivities and chiefly burials.
One of the rare comparable masks illustrated in Wittmer (1978), p. 94, ill. 219 (AHDRC 0097841).