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A dark sculpted head with protruding cylindrical eyes, small nostrils, and a gaping mouth revealing jagged teeth and a white tongue. Its neck is surrounded by dry, brown fibrous material and rests on a woven base of thick entwined fibers.
Dance Headpiece
Courtesy of the Harn Museum of Art, Photography by Foad Seyed Mohammadi

Dance Headpiece

Maker Ekoi Artist
Dateundated
Place of originCross River, Nigeria, Africa
MediumWood, skin, raffia, and pigment
Dimensions10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm)
ClassificationsClothing and accessories
Credit LineGift of Rod McGalliard
Object number1995.28.14
Collections
Visual DescriptionA dark sculpted head with protruding cylindrical eyes, small nostrils, and a gaping mouth revealing jagged teeth and a white tongue. Its neck is surrounded by dry, brown fibrous material and rests on a woven base of thick entwined fibers.
Mask with cavity at the back, covered with skin, with raised scarifications, inset teeth, pigment, and a deep patina.
Headpiece
Ekoi 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
Finely woven rattan body costume with hanging fiber. Wings and head made from plaited string. Long neck. Design painted on predominately black body. Shell eye. Cassowary feathers extend down sides and ridge of back. Dangling twine from circular disc ears.
Cassowary Dance Costume
Iatmul
20th century
Mask is made of wood with skin (probably antelope) stretched tightly over the surface. Female face, with exposed filed teeth; black star-like designs on cheeks; large horn-shaped projections and small pegs inserted in top of head, blackened to suggest a coiffure; raised spiral on temples; cylindrical neck with flared base.
Mask
Boki Artist
20th century
Basket for storage
Basket for storage
Kuba Artist
c.1978
Red and black plastic Football cleats sealed with goatskin; each has 7 goathorns affixed to the toe and two glass perfume bottles protruding from the heel
M’bappélepé, Gris Gris
Lamyne M
2018
Lidded basket with clasp
Lidded basket with clasp
Congolese Artist (Democratic Republic of Congo)
c. 1980
Architectural decoration. Stucco head of jaguar modeled on stone slab armature. Large "god eyes" with heavy brows, multiple creases in forehead, broad nose with creased bridge, nostrils with bulb-like extensions, heavy upper lip, open mouth with extended tongue, 3 holes in chin.
Head of Mythical Monster
Maya Artist
600-800
Mask with exaggerated features, attached teeth, horns, feathers, fur, and pigments.
Face Mask (gela)
Ivorian Artist
undated
Body masquerade woven(?) horizontally of woven rattan. Pig face with snout from which feathers, twine and fabric dangle. Cowrie shell eyes. Headdress of face. Earrings ? object in nose dangle from ears. Tusks extending from one side of mouth. Rows of cassowary feathers extend length of body and fringe hangs at bottom. Highlighted with earth pigment.
Pig dance costume
Iatmul
20th century
Woven raffia fiber cloth with applique of raffia fiber cloth in brown, black and brown abstract shapes, random pattern; multiple panels hand-sewn at selvedges.
Noble woman’s skirt
Kuba Artist
20th century
Raffia fiber woven cloth, multiple panels hand-sewn selvedges; multi-strand twined and plaited, stem-stitched embroidery, enhanced with openwork and frilled edging; black, brown and blue geometric patterns (border = lo liyoongd’dy or chameleon’s footprint motif—see Joseph Cornet, Art Royal Kuba 1982); signs of wear on plain end panel.
Noblewoman’s Ceremonial Overskirt (Ntshakabwiin)
Kuba Artist
late 19th-early 20th century

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