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Ibo Agbogho mask 22 inches, wood stained brown, red, black and white In the Mmwo Secret Society rites of the northern Ibo this mask is used at the Fame of Maidens dance. Society members performed rites to induce a dead man’s soul into the spiritual world-- thus preventing him from doing harm to the living. The dancers dress in brightly colored and checkered clothing and wear these tall crested helmet masks at the funeral. The typical-of-the-region hairstyle you see here is enlarged and flamboyant, the facial features are finer and smaller than in life, and the face much whiter, an allusion to spiritual beauty and moral purity. All of these features are quite characteristic of the genre. The raffia skirt is not authentic or original to the piece.
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