carved mask. apparently carved from a nutshell. elongated face with large round eyes with white beads as pupils. long broad nose. lips open revealing clenched teeth. tri-lobal stylization on the sides of the head. red, green, and yellow beads are depressed into a black substance on the top of the head, with 12 long and fine feathers coming straight out of the top. the feathers are light brown at the base and become black about half-way up to the top. head is 4 cm, the overall height is 23 cm.
Donor:
Berta Bascom
Collection place:
Nigeria
Verbatim coll. place:
Africa; Nigeria; Yoruba
Culture or time period:
Yoruba
Collector:
Berta Bascom and William Russell Bascom
Collection date:
unknown
Materials:
Feather (material), Nut, and Shell (animal material)
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Masks (costume)
Function:
5.1 Religion and Divination: Objects and garb associated with practices reflecting submission, devotion, obedience, and service to supernatural agencies
Accession date:
December 15, 1995
Department:
Africa (except Ancient Egypt)
Dimensions:
overall— height 23 centimeters and head— height 4 centimeters