This page is a record of an exhibit that took place in 2004. The individual links below will take you to the CURRENT VERSION of the pages that formed part of that exhibit. |
Please scroll down for links to images, sizes, prices and more information on each object featured in the current exhibit.
For those of you who cannot visit the gallery, we present some views of the current exhibition.
The Mumuye have shoulder or yoke masks, known as Sukwava, which displays an elongated neck set under a diminutive head with large ears. Traditionally, they were used during pre-war ceremonies, but nowadays they are worn during rain-making and healing practices.
Mumuye artists are famous for their wooden statues known as iagalagana. Even though the Mumuye show great respect for their ancestors, their statuary does not depict ancestors, but rather incarnates tutelary spirits. The statues reinforce the status and prestige of their owner who, as he holds them in his hands, has a dialogue with them and thus ensures his personal protection. The functions of sculptural figures are varied. They are used by both diviners and healers, whose professions included diagnosis and cure of ill health and other kinds of misfortunes. The figures were used to greet rainmaker's clients, guard the house, serve as owner's confidant, and in trials when men in dispute swear on the statue. It is not unusual for a figure simultaneously to serve two or more functions.
The figures vary in size from 20 centimeters to 1.6 meters, are highly abstracted, and may have added elements: beads, belts, bracelets, chains, leather laces, ropes or braided vegetable matter, brass wires, or cowrie shells. The statues' principal characteristic, unique in African art, is the creation of positive and negative space with a pattern of openwork between the body and the arms, which forms a scroll or a spiral around the slender, cylindrical torso. The heads may display a coiffure in the form of a crest. Scarification on face and body is delineated and nasal septum may be perforated for the insertion of a short section of a stalk of Guinea corn. A number of such sculptures have large ears with pierced and distended earlobes for the insertion of plugs.
In addition to the well-known figures and shoulder masks, the Mumuye make and use many other types of objects, some of which we have collected here.
The Jukun, like the Mumuye, have shoulder or yoke masks, known as Sukwava, which displays an elongated neck set under a diminutive head with large ears. Traditionally, they were used during pre-battle ceremonies, but are currently worn during rain-making and healing rituals.
The Mumuye, the Chamba, the Jukun, the Wurkun and the Montol live along the Benue River in eastern Nigeria.
The Wurkun, like the Mumuye, have shoulder or yoke masks, known as Sukwava, which displays an elongated neck set under a diminutive head with large ears. Traditionally, they were used during pre-battle ceremonies, but are currently worn during rain-making and healing rituals.
The Mumuye, the Chamba, the Jukun, the Wurkun and the Montol live along the Benue River in eastern Nigeria.
Kuba skirts, Tcaka, long are cloths made from raffia, from 8 - 25 feet long, from the Ngeende, Bushoong and Ngongo peoples. They incorporate appliqued "patches", embroidered shapes and patterns, openwork, tie-dye, cowrie shells, barkcloth and border elements. The appliqued "patches" originally repaired holes, then developed into traditional design motifs. .Most are covered with geometric symbols; many are restrained, subtle and rhythmic designs using one technique; others create amazing quilt-like assemblages of old pieces of many forms. The full skirts, worn by men and women, are bunched up and wrapped around many times.
These huge polychrome plank masks known as Bedu are danced in ceremonies designed to rid the village of harmful spirits. All have a shallow box-like extension on the back that functions to support the mask on the dancer's head.
The most important event in the Yaka ceremonial cycle is the initiation of young boys into adulthood. To mark the end of the educational period, festivities are held in which the initiates perform with newly carved masks. Additionally, it showcases the most startling masks and the most spectacular dances.
Initiation mukhanda, that includes circumcision, is a crucial part of Yaka life. Circumcision and initiation, mandatory for all young men, are organized in a remote place called mukhanda-mu-msitu. The rituals are organized by the main secret societies : ngoni and yiwilla.
These masks are carved for initiation and are used only once. The carver (muumbwa) repairs and carves new masks for circumcisions which are danced in pairs or groups, except the mask worn by the tutor's leader who dances alone. Masked dancer first asks permission and begs gifts wherever the initiates travel to perform. The ritual expert and his aide, the senior tutor, the sculptor, and the initiates wear different masks. The most common masks (kholuka) are used by initiates and vary greatly. A tutor wears a zoomorphic mask named mpakasa, second from left above. During its performance, the masks were held by a handle hidden behind the raffia cloth.
Most Yaka masks have a painted cloth shape or figure(s) fastened over a reed structure as shown in the detail above. Several masks are completely of wood and include no cloth,
The Holo, neighbors of the Yaka, create similar masks that are usually smaller and simpler.
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