Description

Narrow, oval-shaped plaque-like mask depicting two faces and bird; made of wood and coloured with orange pigment and dark brown stain. Face on top of mask is small and carved in relief. Face is oval-shaped, has a long thin nose, pronounced pouting lips and wide chin; long ears on either side of head. Depicted wearing a headdress. Beneath, bird is carved on its belly with the beak just below the chin of the face; wings are spread, touching either side of the plaque. Tail extends down between the eyebrows of the large face on the base of the mask. Face is thin and tapers to a rounded chin; face not carved in relief, only facial features. It has wide eyes, a long thin nose with large nostrils and bared teeth. Long thin ears on either side of head. All figures have cowrie shell eyes. Negative space between the figures and sides of the mask are filled with circular and geometric motifs. Sides of mask have a channel carved into them, with ovals carved in relief throughout. Plant fibre looped tie at top, on back of mask; mask back is concave.