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Photographs © Tim Hamill
The most important of the Baga art forms is the great mask, or Nimba. It represents the mother of fertility, protector of pregnant women, and presides over all agricultural ceremonies. The dancer, wearing a full raffia costume, carries the mask on his shoulders, looking out through holes between the breasts. In use, such masks rise more than eight feet above the ground; they often weigh more than eighty pounds. Most show a standardized pattern of facial scarification.
Our Nimbas show little evidence of age or use and were probably made to be sold.
We recommmend Art of The Baga: A Drama of Cultural Reinvention by Frederick Lamp (Museum for African Art/Prestel). We have copies for sale at $24.95.
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