Mask
Sha (Nigeria ; Coastal West Africa)
Late 19th century
- Medium
- Wood and rubber
- Classification
- Mask
- Dimensions
- 58.5 × 19.1 × 30.5 cm (23 × 7 1/2 × 12 in.)
- Culture
- Nigeria
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago, Arts of Africa
- Credit line
- Gift of Richard Faletti, the Faletti Family Collection
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed
View at the Art Institute of Chicago
About this work
This strikingly abstract mask was once covered with potent red abrus seeds that were held in place by a resin paste. It would have been used in initiation rituals for one of six age-grade associations. Among the Sha people, a mask like this one represents a male spirit called Akirang who had a female counterpart named Aja. The Kulere equivalent of Akirang was Asho, a spirit associated with human and agricultural fertility.
Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0
