Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number

CAS 0060-0010   CAS 0060-0010; Mask
Category Carvings; Ceremonial Items
Object Name Mask
Culture Makonde
Global Region Sub-Saharan Africa
Country Tanzania or Mozambique
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data Port East Africa
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture ca. early 1900s
Collection Name N/A
Materials Wood; Beeswax; Human hair
Description Helmet mask in the form of a young boy carved in the full round from a single piece of a very lightweight and light-colored wood; Interior of mask is completely hollowed out; Exterior is carved with partially opened mouth, downward turned eyes and nose and decorated with applied bits of beeswax to represent raised scarifications; Human hair is applied to top of mask; Masks of this sort are worn in initiation ceremonies called Lipiko, held for both boys and girls; Mask would be worn with a piece of cloth tied around its bottom rim which would fall loosely over the face of the masquerader.
Dimensions (cm) Height = 22.9, Width = 20.3, Length = 17.8