Maiden spirit mask

Original Language TitleAgbogho mmuo

CultureIgbo peoples

Datelate 19th-early 20th century

MediumWood, cloth, and pigment

DimensionsOverall: 17 1/2 × 10 × 13 1/2 inches (44.45 × 25.4 × 34.29 cm)

Credit LinePurchase: the Esther Clark Garnett Fund

Object numberF97-7

On View

On view

Gallery Location

Collections

African Art

Terms

DescriptionWhite-face mask with star design on the center of the forehead, black accents arching eyebrows, mouth, nose, ears and three raised circular marks between the eyes and the ears. The hairstyle is composed of three parallel wood geometric crests representing elements of the coiffure.Gallery Label

Gallery Label

This maiden-spirit mask embodies Igbo ideals of youthful female beauty and cultured refinement. These ideals are expressed through its elaborate hairstyle, delicate features and facial tattoos, combined with painted decorative designs. The mask's whitened surface suggests the smooth, glistening skin that the Igbo liken to beautiful water droplets. The ritual purity of white chalk applied to the mask symbolizes spiritual beauty. Maiden-spirit masks are worn by male dancers with colorful, close-fitting, appliqué body suits and small conical breasts. Ensembles of maiden-spirit dancers stage theatrical performances for entertainment as well as to honor ancestral spirits.

Provenance

Acquired in Cameroon by Alain Dufour (b. 1946), Galerie Afrique, Ramatuelle, France, after 1964-1971 [1];

Purchased from Dufour by the dealer Lucien van de Velde (b. 1933), Antwerp, Belgium, 1971;

Purchased from Van de Velde by Léo de Vilder, Antwerp, Belgium, 1971-1981 [2];

Purchased at his sale, Pre-Columbian, Central American, American Indian, South-east Asian, Oceanic and African works of art , Sotheby's, London, March 30, 1981, lot 337;

With Philippe Leloup (1931-2019), New York, by 1997;

Purchased from Leloup by Shango Gallery, Dallas, TX, by March 1997 [3];

Purchased from Shango Gallery by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1997.

NOTES:

[1] According to Alain Dufour, in email correspondence with MacKenzie Mallon, Specialist, Provenance, September 29, 2022, NAMA curatorial files, Dufour acquired this mask in Foumban, Cameroon from a Bamoun merchant.

[2] According to the African Heritage Documentation and Research Centre database, www.ahdrc.eu, object no. 0094326.

[3] According to John Buxton, Shango Gallery, in a telephone call with MacKenzie Mallon, September 17, 2021, he purchased the mask from Philippe Leloup no earlier than 1995.

Published References

Primitive Works of Art (London: Sotheby’s, 1981), 105, (repro.).

Newsletter (The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, September 1997), cover, 2, (repro.).

Joyce M. Youmans, “African Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art,” African Arts 33, no. 4 (Winter 2000), 49, 57, (repro.).

Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information, is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image, please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.