1960 s Himba Head Adornment

This early twentieth-century mask, from the Chokwe culture in Angola, displays unusual features. Carved from a light wood and decorated with yellow pigments, this fine mask exhibits ...

In Kuba society, title holding is dominated by men; there are only two titles held by women. Headdresses were and are the most visible expression of o...

This mid-twentieth century finely carved mask, from the Lega culture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, displays the typically heart-shaped face of Lega 'Idimu' masks. Traces o...

This tall, elegant iron currency, from the Mumuye culture in Nigeria, dates back to the nineteenth-century. The currency displays a long, spoon-shaped form, with attractive spiral fe...

The Grebo Tribe reside in Southeast Liberia near the border of the Ivory Coast. Picasso once owned a Mask of this type and it undoubtedly figured in his emerging Modern style. In the...

This exceptional 19th-century Plains Indian roach headdress is a rare and visually striking example of traditional Native American ceremonial regalia. ...

Adorned with spiked braids, this prestigious custom mounted Ashetu hat embodies the cultural significance of the Bamum and Bamileke people of Cameroon, Central Africa, who revered th...

The African Kuba Bwoom tribal mask is the oldest known mask, the Kuba bwoom mask. The materials used for the realization of the Mask are: Wood, colors and vibrates plants, caures, beads, animal hair. In dance it expresses exuberance and joy. The style is similar to that of the middle Kasai. This mask is a helmet with animal hair, carved with a very wide forehead and hollow cheeks that are announced by motifs or dashes and beads. The mouth of the mask is very pronounced carved in wood and then applied on the mask. To distinguish the forehead in different areas are used black and white beads to draw attention to other aspects of the face such as the nose and chin. The entire edge of the chin is surrounded by beads of various colors. The person wearing the mask cannot look because there are no holes for the eyes present; the mask must create the feeling of being blind. Some masks similar to the bwoom mask include the funny mask, the ram mask and initiation masks such as Nnup. The real Kuba masks...