African art > African mask, tribal art, primitive art > Chamba Mask

Chamba Mask (N° 16795) Deposit sale

The Nam Gbalang or Lang Badna mask is a powerful symbol of a cult dedicated to a protective genius.

He appears during the rites of passage of the Kaa festival and at the funerals of high-ranking officers.
It is likened to buffalo; it represents the wild spirit of the bush with all its powers and dangerousness.
On some authors he would represent a queen whose chamba lineage claims to descend from the buffalo of the forests.
The rounded dome of the mask refers to death because it depicts a skull, a relic taken from the tomb of an ancient.

The other characteristics are related to the wild world of nature, so the machore that seems toothed symbolizes the crocodile, while the horns, parallel on this copy, would be related to the animals of the forest. The triangular patterns retain residual kaolin inlays.

The Nam Gbalang mask is danced with a raffia costume that completely covers the body of the man wearing it.  

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Origincollection néerlandaise
EthnyChamba
Countrynigéria
Material(s)wood
Height cm66
Width23 cm
Weight1.95 Kg
Estimated datingmid-xx°
Socle inclusOptional

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