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Nigerian Masks: The Masquerade Traditions Almost Nobody Can Name
Ijele, Agbogho Mmuo, Gelede, Egungun, Ekpo. A working guide to Nigerian masks, who made them and what each masquerade was built to do.
Mumuye Masks and the Statues With No Skeleton: An Art Isolated Until 1959
Isolation shapes art in ways that are easy to underestimate until you meet a tradition it happened to. The Mumuye, living in the rocky hills and savannas of northeastern Nigeria along the bend of the Benue River, remained in near total isolation until as recently as 1959, and their statuary was not even discovered by…
Lega Bwami Art: Objects You Have to Earn the Right to Own
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Most art traditions documented in this book are made for a community, a chief, or a spirit, and once made, they tend to stay put. Lega art belongs to no one until that person…
Igbo Maiden Spirit Mask (Agbogho Mmuo): Beauty, Purity, and Ancestral Connection
Carved to represent the idealised beauty of deceased maidens, the Agbogho Mmuo mask is one of Nigeria’s most graceful masquerade traditions.
African Masks For Sale, A Buyer’s Guide
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Say you want to buy an African mask. Good. Before you spend a cent, know one thing. That search term covers everything from a twenty dollar decorative carving at a home goods store to…
Pende Mask of the Congo: Types, Meanings, and Ceremonial Use
The Pende people of the Democratic Republic of Congo produce some of Africa’s most diverse masks. This guide covers the main types and their ritual roles.