Helmet mask - Agbogho mmwo - Igbo - Nigeria

This type of helmet mask originates from the Igbo people in southeast Nigeria. Known as Agbogho mmwo, or "maiden spirit," these masks are worn by men during festivals honoring important deities. They embody the Igbo ideal of female beauty, with small, balanced features, elaborate hairstyles, and delicate tattoos. The men who dance with Agbogho mmwo masks wear colorful, tight-fitting fiber costumes, entertaining the crowd with exaggerated versions of women's dances.

This particular mask features a long, narrow face painted white with kaolin, a narrow, protruding sharp nose, slit eyes, and an open mouth revealing teeth. The small ears are painted red, while the arching eyebrows, sides of the nose, lips, and outline of each ear are painted brown. The helmet portion of the headdress is adorned with spiral carvings, also painted brown, with an elegant openwork crest above it.
Two double curved scarifications extend from the inner corners of the eyes to the ears, while a cross-shaped scarification decorates the center of the forehead. A minor loss is observed at the left temple.
Overall, this mask exudes a sense of grandeur and elegance.

Total height with stand 61 cm.