Benin Mask
Nigeria
A carved wooden mask structured along a frontal vertical axis, the form contained within a continuous facial plane and expanded through crest and collar elements.
Description
Carved from a single wood block, the face is symmetrical, with elongated eyes set beneath defined lids, a straight nasal ridge, and a small, closed mouth. The ears project laterally. The coiffure rises in a tiered crest composed of radiating ridged segments above a band of tightly ordered vertical incision. Below, a broad collar frames the lower face, articulated by repeated linear incision and bordered by a perforated edge.
Surface is compact and stable, with pigment concentrated across recessed carving and exposure at raised planes.
Context
Within the Benin Kingdom, works of this type were produced within court-controlled guild systems, following a fixed visual structure associated with rank and court protocol.
Provenance
From the Felice Maffei Collection, acquired in Nigeria, 1984.
Details
- Title
- Benin Mask
- Culture
- Benin
- Origin
- Nigeria
- Date
- 20th century
- Dimensions
- H 51 cm (20.1 in) · W 24 cm (9.4 in) · D 7 cm (2.8 in)
- Medium
- Wood
- Provenance
- From the Felice Maffei Collection, acquired in Nigeria, 1984.
- Condition
- Stable patina; pigment retained in recessed carving, with exposure at raised areas.
