$250.00
1 in stock
This Tiv festival mask features a yellow pigmented human face with black designs throughout. It measures 14 inches tall and weighs 4 pounds. There is some minor imperfections including a missing piece from the back right rim, chips, scrapes and scuffs – please inspect photos. Stand is not included.
This is a piece from the Dave Dahl Collection. This is a piece from the Dave Dahl Collection. Please feel free to contact us with your best offers! Please include item title or SKU.
| Type of Object | Mask |
|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Nigeria |
| Ethnicity | Tiv |
| Material | Wood and pigment |
| Approximate Age | Unknown |
| Height (Inches) | 14" |
| Width (Inches) | 10" |
| Depth (Inches) | 6" |
| Weight (Pounds) | 4 lbs |
| Overall Condition | Imperfections including scrapes, scuffs and cracks – see photos |
“The 1,000,000 Tiv people live from farming fields on the left bank of the Benue River and take their name from their eponymous ancestor. They carve figures which are either large and elongated or naturally proportioned with round heads and occasionally scarification at the corners of the mouth and a crested coiffure. Some of these figures were used as posts for reception huts, while others, called Ihambe, are to linked to the concept of fecundity and marriage. Tiv blacksmiths have achieved notoriety for their ‘prestige’ adzes in which the handle ends in a stylized human head with a blade sprouting from it. These are used during festivities and important meetings. Their metal output also includes small copper figures with splayed legs and rounded heads”
Source:
Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998. Print.
Kwagh-hir is a performance with different types of masks for different types of plays, meaning different things with a combination of storytelling, poetry, puppetry, music, dance and drama. Kwagh-hir translates to ‘something magical’. There are four different categories; the musicians, the management, sculptors and performers.