Mama, Nigeria: Dance crest in the form of bush cow head.
The Mama people in northern Nigeria are known for their typical, extremely abstract dance crests in the forms of the heads of free-roaming bovids (bush cow or buffalo, with short, round horns) or of antelopes (with long horns). The members of their male society perform dances, wearing these masks and full body costumes, for the fertility of the fields. The present Mama bush cow crest was originally carved in light-coloured wood and dyed black. This is unusual, since Mama crests are normally dyed red. Also unusual is the manifestly old age of this dance crest, which can be detected on the basis of its partly shiny patina and age damage: the ‘horns’ of the bush cow, in this case in the abstract shape of a thick ring, are broken at multiple points (now glued), a hole on the right side of this item (probably early damage due to insects), as well as old broken-off pieces and tears at the lower edge all contribute to suggesting its old age. Between the 19th and the early 20th centuries; H:12 cm, L: 30.4 cm, W: 20.5 cm. (ME)
Expert: Prof. Erwin Melchardt
Prof. Erwin Melchardt
+43-1-515 60-465
erwin.melchardt@dorotheum.at
24.03.2014 - 16:00
- Odhadní cena:
-
EUR 800,- do EUR 1.000,-
Mama, Nigeria: Dance crest in the form of bush cow head.
The Mama people in northern Nigeria are known for their typical, extremely abstract dance crests in the forms of the heads of free-roaming bovids (bush cow or buffalo, with short, round horns) or of antelopes (with long horns). The members of their male society perform dances, wearing these masks and full body costumes, for the fertility of the fields. The present Mama bush cow crest was originally carved in light-coloured wood and dyed black. This is unusual, since Mama crests are normally dyed red. Also unusual is the manifestly old age of this dance crest, which can be detected on the basis of its partly shiny patina and age damage: the ‘horns’ of the bush cow, in this case in the abstract shape of a thick ring, are broken at multiple points (now glued), a hole on the right side of this item (probably early damage due to insects), as well as old broken-off pieces and tears at the lower edge all contribute to suggesting its old age. Between the 19th and the early 20th centuries; H:12 cm, L: 30.4 cm, W: 20.5 cm. (ME)
Expert: Prof. Erwin Melchardt
Prof. Erwin Melchardt
+43-1-515 60-465
erwin.melchardt@dorotheum.at
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Horká linka kupujících
Po-Pá: 10.00 - 17.00
kundendienst@dorotheum.at +43 1 515 60 200 |
| Aukce: | Mimoevropské a domorodé um?ní |
| Typ aukce: | Salónní aukce |
| Datum: | 24.03.2014 - 16:00 |
| Místo konání aukce: | Wien | Palais Dorotheum |
| Prohlídka: | 18.03. - 24.03.2014 |