Altar Mask
Igbo · Nigeria
Reference: MSOAL-10
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- Height
- 65 cm
- Material
- Wood and pigments and sacrificial patina.
Old helmet mask which is in turn an altar mask on which sacrifices and libations are made. On the spherical cap that constitutes the base of…
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Full original description
Old helmet mask which is in turn an altar mask on which sacrifices and libations are made. On the spherical cap that constitutes the base of the mask are two priestesses with the attributes of their rank in the opposite hands or the back as well as two other neophytes that take the maos to the head. On the sides, two opposite figures that appear to be two divination trays for the realization of the oracles. On the top of the mask two characters, opposite the back, mounted on a horse hold a snake with the thick belly of its last victim. The patina of this altar mask accuses the passage of time and the libations that have been poured upon it.
Further technical information
- Width
- 33 cm
- Attributed period
- First third of the century XX or older
Details transcribed from the original catalogue; they are not a recent physical inspection.
Country on the map
Nigeria. The country associated with the catalog is shown, not the current location of the piece.
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Attributions, dates and accounts come from the preserved catalogue. They do not constitute certification of authenticity or provenance. An object’s presence on this website does not mean it is available for sale.
