African West Guinea Baga Nimba Shoulder Masquerade

This shoulder masquerade is used by dancers for birth, harvest festivals, marriages, and other ceremonies. Vintage (1960s) Guinea Wood shoulder masquerade with grass “skirt,” metal ornaments, and shield accents. Features: Metal Plates with Studs. Origin: Guinea Height: 25" Width: 12" Depth: 6”, 18 lbs., and is in good condition, well-carved, and has a nice, traditional Baga form. The wood is very dense and heavy. Most of us call this female headdress a Nimba, but the real spelling is D‚Äômba. When danced in a village Ceremony, a tall man puts it over his shoulders and holds it by the bottom of the front legs. The neck and head show up very high off the ground. The dancer’s body is completely hidden by cloth and raffia.‚ When not being danced, it can be displayed as a spirit figure. Collectors love them, but they are so big, difficult to carve, and expensive to ship that we don’t‚ see many of them in the USA. The Baga people live along most of the Guinea coast in West Africa.