Makonde Mask 3
Artist: Unknown Makonde artist
Name: lipiko helmet mask
Origin: Makonde people of Northeast Mozambique and Southern Tanzania
Made of: Wood (ntene), human hair, pigment and beeswax
Dimensions: H: 10”(25.4 cm); W: 7.5” (19cm); D: 12” (10.5 cm)
From: Gift of Oliver and Pamela Cobb, 2009
Accession no. 2009-02-013
On display in the PLU’s Mortvedt Library (2nd floor)
Description: This red-brown mask has more feminine and smaller features than the others. It has a hairstyle resembling an adorned bun that is decorated using real human hair. It has squinting eyes and thin black eyebrows. The nose is small and the lips are thin. There are 6 teeth within the mouth and a space where one appears to be missing. There is a small crack running up along the back of the mask with a small hole at the top of the skull. There is also a small notch in the front of the rim that goes along the bottom of the neck.