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A mask of a head tilted upward with half-closed eyes and a parted mouth showing teeth. Dark, rough, textured material covers the top of the scalp and sideburns.
Helmet Mask
Courtesy of the Harn Museum of Art, Photography by Foad Seyed Mohammadi

Helmet Mask

Maker Makonde Artist , Mozambique
Date20th century
Place of originMozambique, Africa
PurchasedBrussels, Belgium, Europe
MediumWood, hair, pigment
Dimensions9 7/8 x 10 x 12 5/8 in. (25.1 x 25.4 x 32.1 cm)
ClassificationsClothing and accessories
Credit LineGift of Snead Y. Davis
Object number1998.11
Collections
Visual DescriptionA mask of a head tilted upward with half-closed eyes and a parted mouth showing teeth. Dark, rough, textured material covers the top of the scalp and sideburns.
A carved dark wooden mask featuring a rough, light-colored material on top for the hair. It has incised chevron patterns on the forehead, diagonal cheek markings, narrow eyes, a short broad nose, carved ears, and wide, prominent closed lips.
Gelede Male Mask
Makonde Artist
undated
Wooden helmet mask with naturalist human features, human hair applied to scalp which is also embedded with plastic or vinyl strips in red and green- arc, spiral double bars designs; black pigment applied to face, eroded in areas. Teeth are made of pointed strips of wood, some missing. Cracks and fragile area on right of neck; traces of applied substances on face, probably beeswax fashioned into strips to resemble scarification patterns.
Mask (n'dimu or lipiko)
Makonde Artist
mid-late 20th century
Helmet mask of human head with carved teeth, facial scarifications, and pigmented hair.
Helmet Mask
Makonde Artist
undated
A dark carved wooden mask with bulging eyes, an open mouth showing teeth, and two partial ridged horns. The broken-off curved horns lie separately on either side.
Gelede Helmet Mask
Yoruba Artist
undated
Woven basketry cone shaped from topped with traditional Sepik human head made of clay and painted designs. Large shell eyes, typical nose and protruding tongue. Hair beard. Face encircled in shells, embedded with clay. On basketry torso is the "dual" ancestor's face mocking the larger predominate face. Raffia fringe extends from bottom. Handle on side and back. Wood plug earring. Raffia fringe covers armholes inside. Striped design in red, black and yellow.
Dual ancestral costume
Iatmul
20th century
Very long traditional shaped mask with long nose attached to chin. Bird head extending from chin. Conical eyes with nassa shells. High forehead. Tusks extending either side of nose.
Mai Mask
Iatmul
20th century
Traditional elongated facial mask with long nose pierced at septum with boar tusk extending to chin where bird protrudes down. Face surrounded by shells embedded in clay. Shells on nose extension. Human hair at top of head beneath plaited raffia loop for hanging. Small inset shells for eyes underneath carved protruding brows. Dark stain. Painted traditional designs.
Mai Mask
Iatmul
20th century
Human face mask with large arched superstructure of rattan, thick, fiber brush on top, with light pigment on side filling swirl motif; face has operculum shell eyes, with hook nose, mouth has lips that are parted and flattened to form perpendicular plane to face. Face is painted with finely lined motifs, varied pigments against light ground.
Mask for Malangan (tatanua)
Papua New Guinea
late 19th - early 20th century
Bulky helmet mask with carved teeth, long curving horns, bulbous eyes, and decorated with red and black pigments and encrustation.
Helmet Mask (egungun)
Yoruba Artist
undated
Female character wooden face mask with beads and cowries attached to woven raffia superstructure, face; turquoise and white and blue beads on headband and mouth.
Female Royal Ancestor Mask (Ngady a Mwash)
Kuba Artist
1920-1940
A dark wooden carving of a head with a hollow, rough-edged top. It features a circular forehead motif, incised lines by the eyes, semi-circular ears, a protruding open mouth, and a thick neck covered in carved geometric patterns. This view shows the front of one face.
Helmet Mask (Janus Faced)
Nigerian Artist
undated
Helmet mask representing a man's head with a large mouth, carved teeth, bulbous eyes, and a plaited coiffure. Mask is dark brown with beige pigment on eyes and mouth and black pigment on coiffure.
Helmet Mask
Yoruba Artist
undated

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