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Source Description
This small face mask would have been complemented by a separate, elaborate superstructure covered with cotton cloth. Though always worn by a man, the image glorifies youthful female beauty. Derived from chalky clay, the white coloration of the face refers to ancestral spirits whose powers the mask evokes. The masks dance in festivals that generally celebrate the dead but also appear at funerals to escort the deceased to the land of the ancestors.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
282135
label
Face Mask (Agboho mmuo)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
282135
contentType
object
title
Face Mask (Agboho mmuo)
description
This small face mask would have been complemented by a separate, elaborate superstructure covered with cotton cloth. Though always worn by a man, the image glorifies youthful female beauty. Derived from chalky clay, the white coloration of the face refers to ancestral spirits whose powers the mask evokes. The masks dance in festivals that generally celebrate the dead but also appear at funerals to escort the deceased to the land of the ancestors.
date
possibly early 1900s
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Mask
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 16.9 x 11 x 6 cm (6 5/8 x 4 5/16 x 2 3/8 in.)
cul
Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Igbo-style maker
accession
2016.1
Source extras
tec
Wood, pigment, plant fiber, and cotton
tombstone
Face Mask (Agboho mmuo), possibly early 1900s. Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Igbo-style maker. Wood, pigment, plant fiber, and cotton; overall: 16.9 x 11 x 6 cm (6 5/8 x 4 5/16 x 2 3/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Kim Sherwin, 2016.10
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
Though always worn by a man, the imagery of this mask celebrates youthful female beauty.
creditline
Gift of Kim Sherwin
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:51:31.339000
sourceId
282135
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Wood, pigment, plant fiber, and cotton
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
d5ce3dd5151ecf47