Maiden Spirit Helmet Mask (Agbogho Mmwo)
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Object Label
Agbogho mmwo, or "maiden spirit," masks are worn by men at festivals that honor important deities. They represent the Igbo ideal of female beauty: small, balanced features, elaborate hairstyles, and delicate tattoos. The men who dance agbogho mmwo masks wear colorful, tight-fitting fiber costumes, entertaining the crowd with exaggerated versions of women's dances.
Caption
Igbo. Maiden Spirit Helmet Mask (Agbogho Mmwo), early 20th century. Wood, pigment, string, 19 3/4 x 5 3/4 x 12 in. (50.2 x 14.6 x 30.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marc and Ruth Franklin in memory of Lillian S. Korzenik, 87.215. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 87.215_threequarter_PS1.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Maiden Spirit Helmet Mask (Agbogho Mmwo)
Date
early 20th century
Geography
Place made: Nigeria
Medium
Wood, pigment, string
Classification
Dimensions
19 3/4 x 5 3/4 x 12 in. (50.2 x 14.6 x 30.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Marc and Ruth Franklin in memory of Lillian S. Korzenik
Accession Number
87.215
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
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