Superb zoomorphic African crest, in wood, with an ochre patina characteristic of the Mama ethnic group of Nigeria

Length: 44 cm, width: 27 cm, height: 18 cm

The Mama ethnic group

The Mama live on the Jos Plateau in central Nigeria. Very little is known about this people, who are mainly known for their famous crest, a distinctive sign of a society called Mangam whose ceremonies are primarily intended to bring prosperity to the tribe.

The Mama mask

A sculpture in the shape of a stylized animal head, it symbolizes the spirits of the bush; the dancers who wear these crests are dressed in costumes made of plant fibers and are responsible for winning the favors of the spirits of the ancestors (who have become spirits of the bush) during the harvests and for bringing, as mentioned above, prosperity to the tribe.

A rustic, even crude sculpture, but always of great graphic beauty with its soft and refined lines, the Mama crest is always covered with a thick red patina.

The Mama crest

The Mama crest presented here is perfectly in line with the style described above; it has become very light (dehydration), and fragile, because of its great age. It is an exceptional piece!

The horns would be a symbol of fertility, to be associated indifferently with the earth or the Mother...

Variants of the name Mama

The Mama are increasingly often called Kantana; we also sometimes hear kwarra