Chamba BUSH COW mask, Nigeria,CLASSIC, African Start Price USD 1,750.00 Current Price USD 1,750.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Sunday, September 21, 2008 End Time Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Location Denver, CO See more about 'Chamba BUSH COW mask, Nigeria,CLASSIC, African' Description Chamba "bush cow" mask, Nigeria, OLD African Type of Object: Head Mask. Ethnic Group: Chamba Country of Origin: Northern Nigeria. Materials: Wood, stain and pigments. Approximate Age: Unknown Dimensions: Length is 27 inches.Width is 12 inches. Depth is 10 inches. Overall Condition: Very good. Remnants of whitish and reddish pigment. Damage, Repair: Old insect damage, indigenous repair of age crack to inside lower jaw and back of head. Additional Information: This large and dramatically carved helmet mask was shaped from a single piece of wood. Danced by the Chamba of northern Nigeria it is known as Nam Gbalang or Lang Badna and is a powerful symbol among them. Often identified as a 'bush cow' it represents more likely wild spirits of the bush with all of their power and potential and as a result the mask is linked to dangerous forces. Another description of the mask is that it represents a Chamba queen whose lineage claims descent from the forest buffalo.. Masks such as this are danced with a thick costume of grasses that completely cover the body of the man wearing it. From the round helmet shape the mouth projects forward and horns sweep backward in a single horizontal plane. The rounded dome of the mask symbolically depicts the idea of death, for it depicts a skull, a relic taken from the grave of an elder. Other features are related to the wilderness are the jaws of the crocodile, while the horns are those of the forest buffalo. Covered by the grass costume and wearing this heavy mask the dancer looks through a small opening between the two jaws. Masks such as this are painted red, representing maleness or black indicating the female. The red and black colors make reference to blood and to the powers of witchcraft that women possess. The Chamba, whose number today is estimated to be 20,000, settled in northern Nigeria, on the southern bank of the Benue River. They are divided into small kingdoms each headed by a king assisted by a council of elders whose powers are regulated by male and female secret societies within which art has a prominent role as a symbol of transformation during funerals, initiation and to control the forces of untamed nature. Recommended Reading:R. Fardon; Between God, The Dead and the WIld, 1990.I have examined this piece and agree with the descriptionNiangi Batulukisi, Ph.D. **W2695** All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2006 Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers! Please visit our About Us page. SquareTrade © AP6.0 PesaMember Place a Bid!