Female Igbo Headdress with Braided Coiffure

Ceremonial masks and headpieces such as this female with an elaborately braided coiffure were worn by the Igbo during traditional masquerades. Herbert Cole and Chike Aniakor write in Igbo Arts: Community and Cosmos that artisans carved these spirit-characters to function as everything from “noncorporeal ideas” and “lighthearted entertainers” to “powerful authorities with sanctions to judge or even kill.” Igbo masks hold historical, metaphorical, ancestral and theatrical symbolism; the coming together of masked characters in a ritual performance is a spectacle of spirituality and storytelling. Keeping in mind that the materials, forms and colors of masks “have much to do with their impact and effectiveness,” this headdress is an example of the carver’s artistic and storytelling skills. The figure’s pigmented under eyes, open mouth expression, facial scarification, sophisticated coiffure and carved designs found on both the temple and neck — typical of Igbo mask carvers — give the mask a distinct personality. Authentic piece with evidence of age and use.

13.5″

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