Mask
date: label: Accession Date
content: 15 Apr 1991
label: Collection Date
content: 1960's
name: label: Collector
content: Philip Abrams
label: Donor Name
content: Philip Abrams
notes: label: Notes
content: HELMET MASK MADE FROM SINGLE PIECE OF WOOD. HUMAN FACE IS SMALL IN COMPARISON TO REST OF MASK CLOSE-SET FEATURES, "X" DESIGN ON EITHER CHECK, DOWNCAST EYES, TWO SMALL METAL PIECES PROTRUDING FROM MOUTH. HIGH FOREHEAD. BAND OF METAL SEPARATES FACE AND BACK OF HEAD FROM COIFFURE, AND ANOTHER BAND ENCIRCLES BACK OF HEAD OVER CARVED HAIR FROM EAR TO EAR. HAS RINGS AROUND NECK, BUT THEY ARE DIVIDED GEOMETRICALLY INTO TRIANGULAR SECTIONS. COIFFURE IS ELABORATE, GEOMETRICAL DESIGNS AND FOUR CARVED BRAIDS, KNOBBED ON TOP, COMPLETE THE DESIGN. CHRISTINE KREAMER, RESEARCH ASSISTANT, COMMENTS: HELMET MASKS OF THIS TYPE ARE THE ONLY EXAMPLE OF WOODEN MASKS WORN BY WOMEN IN WEST AFRICA. THEY APPEAR IN MANY CONTEXTS, MOST NOTABLY IN INITIATIONS TO THE WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION. THE MASKS EPITOMIZE IDEAL FEMININE BEAUTY, AND ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A WATER SPIRIT. THE RINGS CARVED AROUND THE NECK SIGNIFY RIPPLES ON THE WATER. PROJECTIONS FROM TOP OF HEAD RECALL PROVERBS THAT REFLECT ASPECTS OF SOCIAL ORGANIZATION, MYTH AND SPIRITUAL BELIEFS. THE COLLECTOR IDENTIFIES IT AS A BUNDU MASK.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 13 May 2019
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: West, Africa
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Gola
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 370726
label: USNM Number
content: E425140-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Mask
physicalDescription: label: Length - Object
content: 38 cm
label: Width - Object
content: 22.5 cm