This special section features items that we are particularly proud of. They are all museum grade quality and will be of interest to the most discriminating of buyers.

The 45,000 Baga live alongside the coastal lagoons of southern Guinea-Bissau with the Nalu and Landuman people. They grow rice in the marshy area flooded six months of the year, during which time the only way to get around is by a dugout canoe. Access is cut off to the outside world during the flood months. The Baga believe in a main creator, Kanu and other primary spirits that aid in the performance of their initiation ritual which is held once every 24 years and ceremonies such as births, marriages and harvest festivals. Many well known masks are used including the towering superstructure of Nimba. The Nimba is the largest known African mask; it is shaped as a long bust with breasts, elongated by an extended neck and topped by a small bird like head with a crest. The Nimba is used to promote crop fertility and represents the idea of the Baga fertile woman. The beautiful wooden selection on display is worn during important Baga rituals. The dancer will wear it in conjunction with a long raffia costume creating a supernaturally imposing yet elegant figure. The headdress has been traditionally styled and crafted without any pigmentation leaving the natural beautiful wood grain completely exposed. A well crafted figurative representation of the Nimba surmounts the top of the headdress. The face shield is a placement of supernatural features such as a heavy hooked bird like/Nimba like nose, heavy eyelids and a tiny mouth surrounded by detailed ridged carvings. A slight patina has formed on the outer surface. The inner core is a marvel. It features traces of a pinkish pigment and a deep patina that darkens as it reaches the innermost top point of the head piece. The aged wood has worn uneven costume holes and edging chips. This is a beautiful unusual selection that will be a highlight of any African art collection.

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Dimensions: 21 inches tall x 10 inches wide x 10 inches deep.  

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