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The Nimba mask of the Baga are among the most
massive and imposing of all African masks. At
the rice harvest festivals, an adult male, hidden
beneath the raffia skirt, wears the Nimba mask
on his shoulders and dances through the fields
while peering through two holes in between the
breasts. Carved out of a solid block of wood, the
Nimba masks weighs between 80 and 130
pounds. When worn by an adult the Nimba mask
can tower over eight feet in height so it will
easily be seen moving through the fields.
In many cultures, it is common for female figures
to be associated with agricultural plenty, for
instance the Roman Goddess Ceres or the more
generic Mother Earth. This Nimba mask
represents a female figure, the mother of
fertility, and presides over all agricultural
ceremonies. She protects the growth of both
crops and pregnant women. Thus, she is the
protector of both the sustenance of life and life
itself. She has flat, pendant breasts, which tell us
she has nurtured many children. The ritual body
scarifications, symbolized by the pattern of
upholstery tacks imbedded into the sculpture,
are marks of beauty. From the bridge of her large
hooked nose, a low crest extends over the
receding forehead to the hairline. It is followed
by a larger crest, carved in relief, that runs down
the back of the head. This intricately braided
coiffure further enhances her beauty. Overall, the
Nimba mask symbolizes all that is good: the
strength, the joy of living, the love of the
beautiful and the attachment to our ancestors.
- (CK.0541)
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