Old Makonde LIPIKO Helmet Mask – Tanzania

1970′. Wood, fully covered with skin, kaolin paint, basketry. Cm. 17,0 high x cm. 25,5 width (6.69″ x 10.04″). Grams 1.398,0 (49.31 oz.).

Worn on top of the head, the ceremonial Lipico masks are primarily danced during circumcision rituals for boys.

This Helmet Mask is characterized by strong, human facial features; raised scarification patterns accentuate the cheeks and the brow.

The Makonde are an ethnic group in southeast Tanzania and northern Mozambique. The Makonde developed their culture on the Mueda Plateau in Mozambique. The Makonde successfully resisted predation by African, Arab, and European slavers. They did not fall under colonial power until the 1920s.

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