Facial Mask Anoman

It's the masks that are topped by one or two birds. Anoman means bird. They were masks used in funeral rites. In contact with the deceased ' s body, they could acquire extraordinary forces that could become dangerous. These masks acted as mediators between the spirit of the deceased and the families. They were carried by the Dié male society whose members rendered worship to Yu, spirit or divinity intermediate between God and men.They participated in the ceremonies of the "lô" and the "ye". They are masks of funerary character intended to purify the village after a burial and to accompany and help the deceased on his way to the hereafter.

This beautiful mascra carries a diadem crowned by three birds. It dominates the black colour on which the large white moles of the temples and the cheeks, as well as the block on the forehead, stand out. They also highlight the pink festival of beaks, typical of the ethnic group, which runs along the perimeter of the face, and the outline of the lines of separation of the forehead, eyebrows, eyes and mouth.

The beaks and much of the bird on the left have been restored.