agbogho mmuo mask, unrecorded Onitsha artist

Artwork Overview

unrecorded Onitsha artist, agbogho mmuo mask
unrecorded Onitsha artist, agbogho mmuo mask
unrecorded Onitsha artist
agbogho mmuo mask
early-mid 1900s
agbogho mmuo mask, early-mid 1900s
Where object was made: Nigeria
Material/technique: clay; carving; wood
Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 52 x 25 x 27.5 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 20 1/2 x 9 13/16 x 10 13/16 in
Credit line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H. Kenneth Palmer
Accession number: 2007.2960
Not on display
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Exhibition Label: "Roots and Journeys: Encountering Global Arts and Cultures," Jun-2013, Cassandra Mesick The white surfaces of these masks, slathered with chalky clay, mark them as benevolent spirits affiliated with purity, peace, beauty, and order. During festivals, the mmuo appear in contrast with masks of dark brown or black, colors viewers would likely associate with ugliness, chaos, wilderness, and conflict. Mmuo masks often represent females, donning a distinctive crested hairstyle, but they can also possess such typically male attributes as the squared jaw, prominent eyes and mouth, and flat coiffure seen on the mask to the left.