Vintage Mumuye West African Carved Wood Female Helmet Mask

Item Details

A hand-carved vintage African female helmet mask from the west African Mumuye people of Nigeria. The wood mask is carved from a single piece of wood of an unknown type, with a hollowed out back. The mask depicts a very stylized human face, with elongated eyes, and a vertical raised portion representing a nose. There is no mouth depicted. The eye holes are embellished with applied red glass beads around the openings, and the hair or headdress has raised vertical lines. The mask is not signed, but has a hand-written label marked ‘7 MUMYE’.

Condition

to poor:
- significant surface marks, wear throughout
- appears to be areas of significant insect damage in areas
- some beads or applied decorations are missing

Dimensions

Item #

17DEN101-059