"Lipiko female mask". Ethnicity: Makonde.
Country: Tanzania.
Moulded by women''s hands, the Makonde terracotta masks have recently been discovered in the context of female puberty rites as well as the great male initiation ceremony carried out by the Mapiko secret society.
Although it is an exception to everything known in African art, we know that its use is not a recent phenomenon. Findings of similar helmet-masks in Lydenburg (South Africa) date from the 5th century BC, a fact that attests to a long tradition maintained over time.
The difference in material used, the feminine one in terracotta and the masculine one in wood, also marks the dance steps, of particular vigor and pronounced violence in the men and the more sensual and leisurely ones of the women, who have preferred to keep the old tradition of starting the ceremony with the masks deposited on the ground and carefully incorporating them into the dance. Once the ritual is over, they are deposited inside decorated hollow trunks that this mask, exceptionally, still preserves. It is very interesting to note that the mask bears the ancient tribal tattoo of the Makonde woman (see photo). 20 cm. mask diameter ; 30 cm. base diameter.
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DECORATIVE ARTS
Starting price
650 €
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