Munyangi Mask (Primary Title)
Munyangi Mask (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
This little mask is meant to be worn at an angle on the forehead and not in front of the face. Its size and placement make it easier for the dancer to jump and leap at great speeds because he can see clearly and isn’t burdened by weight. Originally, striking blue tail feathers from the great blue turaco bird would have projected upward from the mask. Although the mask is not designed to resemble the bird, its dance does mimic how the bird flies and hops quickly along branches in the forest. When the mask appears, the accompanying drummers pick up the pace to create fast rhythms that match the dance of the mask.
From the Robert and Nancy Nooter Collection, Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund
Robbins, Warren M. and Nancy Ingram Nooter. African Art in American Collections, Survey 1989. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989. (illus. 1030, p. 405)
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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