Vintage African Guinea Baga Nimba Carved Wood Bird Mask. Elongated inverted teardrop shape overall, with a zip-tied used to create a hanger to display on a wall. Diamond shapes throughout the nose and around the eye holes, with a ladder-like pattern up the nose from the bottom to just below the eyes. 

Size: 28 1/2 x 7 x 11 1/2 in. 

Baga masks from Guinea, like the famous D'mba (Nimba), are monumental wooden sculptures representing fertility, motherhood, and abundance, worn as shoulder masks by male dancers to celebrate life's milestones (birth, marriage, harvest). Other Baga masks, such as the Banda (or Kumbaruba), are helmet masks used by the Simo society in initiation rites, embodying powerful spirits. These masks are characterized by intricate carvings, rich patinas, and symbolic features, reflecting the Baga people's deep connection to nature, community, and spiritual beliefs, and are significant examples of West African art

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