IBO , NIGERIA

‍Agbogho Mmuo, or Maiden Spirits, are annual performances held during the dry season in the Nri-Awka area of Nigeria, the northern part of traditional Igbo territory. Performed only by men, these masquerades imitate the character of adolescent girls, exaggerating the girls’ beauty and movements. Their dances are accompanied by musicians who sing and play tribute to the graces of women both real and spiritual.

While masks depicting young females are most common in agbogho mmuo performances, Chinyere G. Okafor argues that the tradition is not limited to youthful spirits; instead, it refers more broadly to masks representing the female ‘essence.’

Classic agbogho mmuo masks portray an idealized image of a young woman in Igbo society. These ideals emphasize tight proportions, a slender nose, and a small face relative to a much larger coiffure. Its spiritual nature is indicated by a white complexion. This is achieved with the application of kaolin, a chalk-like pigment used for ritual decoration of the body in both West Africa and the African Diaspora. Kaolin is also used in uli – abstract, linear designs created by Igbo women to beautify bodies and community structures.

Most maiden spirit masks are decorated with representations of hair combs and other objects modeled after late nineteenth-century ceremonial hairstyles. These hairstyles include elaborate modelings and crests intended entirely to add aesthetic grandeur to the mask.

The present example is confidently carved, compellingly detailed, and channels its compositional focus toward the face with its subtly nuanced expression. Surface designs over the entirety of the mask are both embossed and incised, deploying a mixture of flowing, organic lines and tighter geometric devices to masterful effect. Anspach and other collection numbers on back of mask.

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