LARGE D'MBA SHOULDER MASK, Baga, Guinea.

Wood.
Height: 110cm.
The large D'mba or Nimba shoulder masks represent the most characteristic form of Baga tribal art. They embody the mother of fertility, stand for the protection of pregnant women and are the most important part of all ceremonies related to agriculture and harvest. The masks are very heavy and are therefore only worn by male dancers who are also dressed in a raffia costume.
Many modern artists discovered these masks as collectors and/or used them as motifs in their works, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Meryln Evans in "Vertical Suite in Black: Helmet Head" (1957), Fred Wilson in "Seat of Power" (1991) or the Nigerian artist Gani Oductokun in "Dialogue with Mona Liza" (1991).