Helmet mask, Makonde; Mozambique/Tanzania
Wood, pigment, human hair; H. 8 3/4"
The Makonde of northern Mozambique
and southern Tanzania wore helmet masks for initiation
ceremonies called Lipiko for both boys and
girls. The mask or "head of the lipiko"
(muti wa lipiko) is made of a light, balsa-like
wood and worn with a cloth tied around the bottom
rim that falls loosely over the masquerader. The
naturalism of these masks is often accentuated by
the addition of human hair. Older examples of male
masks such as this are often simple and understated.
Additionally, some older masks are decorated with
applied beeswax to represent raised scarifications.
More recent examples display a broader variety of
characters. Within an initiation context, boys were
forced to overpower the masquerader and unmask the
Lipiko.
