"Zoomorphic Mask – Mama People, Nigeria"
A stylized animal mask, carved from wood and adorned with long, vertical horns. Its surface, covered with a natural red pigment, and its decorative raised dots suggest a strong ritual function. This type of mask, specific to the Mama people of east-central Nigeria, was worn with a fiber costume during ceremonies related to agriculture, funerals, or collective protection.
It represents a force of nature, half animal, half spirit, responsible for ensuring order and balance in the world.