Antique Igbo Mask from Nigeria 15x16in tie and dye skirt a man or an animal

a man or an animal

Hand hammered with bronze

Made in Kenya from Black Ebony Wood

The masquerade has an elaborate and bulky costume

Antique Igbo Mask from Nigeria 15x16in tie and dye skirt a man or an animalThe Igbo use thousands of masks, which incarnate unspecified spirits of the dead, forming a vast community of souls. The outstanding characteristic of the many Igbo masks is that they are painted chalk white, the color of the spirit. Masked dancers wore extremely elaborate costumes (sometimes ornamented with mirrors) and often their feet and hands were covered. With their masks, the Igbo oppose beauty to bestiality, the feminine to the masculine,