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Portfolios%20%3D%20%22356%22%20and%20Creation_Place2%20%3D%20%22Mozambique%22
Woodwork
Mask (lipiko) of Makonde Man with Incised Tattoos
Makonde Helmut Mask
Makonde artist
Makonde artist
Mozambique
Primary
Wood
Wood
Makonde; made in Mozambique
0
0
Woodwork
Masks like this come from the Makonde culture in Mozambique. Called mapiko (singular lipiko), they are worn by dancers who perform public masquerades in front of large audiences for holidays and important occasions in their villages. The dancers, also called mapiko, wear the masks on the upper half of the head in order to cover the ears, eyes, and nose. They are able to see through the opened mouth.
These elaborate performances are part of a living tradition in which the styles of both mask and dance change continually. The abstracted human features of earlier masks emphasize their ritual and sacred nature. In particular, they refer to the importance of ancestral spirits attending and participating in these public masquerades. Over time, sculptors began to decorate the masks with unique facial tattoos that identify the wearer as coming from a specific region or tribe.
[Forman Gallery, Summer 2015]
underside, Base coat: Acryloid B-72 in acetone
Accession number: Golden Fluid Acrylics (black)
Both layers soluble in Acetone
2006.72
item
Memorial Art Gallery
10/20/2006
851DI1
digital image
00/00/00
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/Inventory pictures/2006.72_I1.jpg
2006.72DI#2
digital image
Three-quarter
7/2/2007
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/2006.72_A1.jpg
00/00/00
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/R/Docents/For Cynthia & Natalie/SHyde-SequentialTour1988.jpg
Woodwork
Mask (lipiko) of Makonde Man with Incised Tattoos
Makonde Helmut Mask
Makonde artist
Makonde artist
Mozambique
9 3/4 x 7 1/2 x 11 in. (24.8 x 19.1 x 27.9 cm)
Wood
Wood
Makonde; made in Mozambique
ca. 1950-1960
1950
1960
763
Woodwork
Makonde people are producing more masks and types of masquerades now than ever before. This living, thriving tradition favors innovation, so styles of mask and dance change continually. Masked dancers perform before enthusiastic audiences for holidays or important occasions in the village.
This mask, from the 1950s or 60s is in the classic style favored by Makonde people today. The style and design of facial tattoos are unique to the Makonde and would have identified this face as belonging to a specific region or tribe. Most Makonde tattooing ended in the 1960s, so only the older generation wears the distinctive marks today. The specificity of the shaved hairline and the scar on the scalp near the left temple indicate that perhaps this mask was a portrait.
[Gallery label text, 2009]
underside, Base coat: Acryloid B-72 in acetone
Accession number: Golden Fluid Acrylics (black)
Both layers soluble in Acetone
2006.71
item
Memorial Art Gallery
10/20/2006
763DI1
digital image
00/00/00
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/Inventory pictures/2006.71_I1.jpg
2006.71DI#2
digital image
Three-quarter
7/2/2007
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/2006.71_A1.jpg