Do mask, second quarter of 20th century
Ligbiexpand_more
Wood, metalexpand_more
The Mary Ruth Weisel Endowment for Africa, Oceania, and the Americasexpand_more 2013.32
On View in Gallery 242expand_more
African masks sometimes feature an animal or person on top; in this case, there’s a rectangular panel with a knob. It represents a Qur’anic board, a kind of plank used throughout Africa as an aid in learning to read and write Arabic for religious purposes. Among the small subgroup of African masks used in Muslim communities during Islamic festivals, this one would have been used by the Do association of the West African Ligbi people and their neighbors during masked dances marking the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.
Details
- Title
- Do mask
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2013.32
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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