Igbo+Spirit+Masks

=Tribe: Igbo Country= =Nigeria Material: Wood= =Pigment Size: 14" (35.5 cm)=

===There is a tremendous variation of mask styles within the Igbo of Southern Nigeria, which shows the importance of masquerading in the social and religious life of these people. Igbo masks are arranged in a hierarchy, from the least important ones owned and danced by the youngest groups to the most powerful that are reserved for the senior titled men. All the masks are seen as incarnations of spirits and command respect, particularly from any uninitiated tribe members. Masks are owned by age-grades, secret societies, villages, but with the exception of very few, the dancing of the masks is reserved for men. The most common of the Igbo masks is the //Agbogho mmanwu// or maiden spirit mask. These masks are worn by men aged thirty to fifty years old and are more spiritually significant than the masks worn by their younger brothers. Like most Igbo masks, they are perceived as the "incarnate dead"; however, they are not considered portraits of specific ancestors. They are believed to embody important attributes of feminine grace and beauty, and while entertaining, also suggest the ancestors' continuing interest in the fertility of the land and the people. Although these masks show tremendous stylistic differences, they all share certain features that relate to the Igbo aesthetics of female beauty, one of which is the pale surface, which is an exaggeration of light skin tone that is considered ideal. Also, white is associated with the spirit realm and suggests moral purity.===