Antique Igbo Mask from Nigeria 15x16in tie and dye skirt the initiates would take from

the initiates would take from the body of the deceased various relics

collectors piece

and masks presenting male and female human heads

a man or an animal

Antique Igbo Mask from Nigeria 15x16in tie and dye skirt the initiates would take fromThe Igbo use thousands of masks, which incarnate unspecified spirits of the dead, forming a vast community of souls. The outstanding characteristic of the many Igbo masks is that they are painted chalk white, the color of the spirit. Masked dancers wore extremely elaborate costumes (sometimes ornamented with mirrors) and often their feet and hands were covered. With their masks, the Igbo oppose beauty to bestiality, the feminine to the masculine,