French African art collection. Featuring miniature versions of African mask Igbo Agbogo Mmwo, this textile-stretched wickerwork hat is surmounted by a two-headed animal figure. The white color of the faces relates to ancestral spirits, these masks frequently accompanying the deceased during funeral rites. Indeed, mmwo means "spirit of the dead". The set is embellished and embroidered with metal pellets, pearls and cowrie shells. The Igbo live in the forest in southeastern Nigeria. They managed to combine a deep sense of individuality with an equally strong sense of belonging to the group. Their political system is complex and little known. The village is the most important social unit, the smallest being the extended family. Each village has a high degree of autonomy and is placed under the authority of the oldest lineage head. The religion of the Igbo includes on the one hand the god Chuku , supreme creator, considered omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, and on the other hand the spirit of the earth Ala . Igbo masks embody a range of ancestral spirits in ritual ceremonies associated with the agricultural calendar.
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