agbogho mmuo mask

unrecorded Onitsha artist, artist

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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Label texts

Roots and Journeys: Encountering Global Arts and Cultures

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.

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.