Mambila Suah Bua mask
Animal masks in traditional African art among the Mambila
This type of traditional dance crest mask is found among the Mambila of the North. It represents the dog Suah Buah (Suaga). There is a variant, Suah Duah (Suaga) which represents the cow. This mask has a wide open mouth and eyes projecting forward. These animals are part of mambila mythology.
These crest masks worn horizontally belong to a mutual aid community. Linked to an agrarian cult, they occur on the occasion of orderly festivities during sowing and harvesting. They also had a fortnightly activity, based on the phases of the moon.
The particular forms of this sculpture are sometimes found in the figurative pottery of the Mambila. The Keaka ethnic group also uses carved crests very similar in their style, but for these, the animal represents a spirit of the forest.
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Data sheet
- Size
- 53 x 24 cm
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood
- Country
Animal masks in traditional African art among the Mambila
This type of traditional dance crest mask is found among the Mambila of the North. It represents the dog Suah Buah (Suaga). There is a variant, Suah Duah (Suaga) which represents the cow. This mask has a wide open mouth and eyes projecting forward. These animals are part of mambila mythology.
These crest masks worn horizontally belong to a mutual aid community. Linked to an agrarian cult, they occur on the occasion of orderly festivities during sowing and harvesting. They also had a fortnightly activity, based on the phases of the moon.
The particular forms of this sculpture are sometimes found in the figurative pottery of the Mambila. The Keaka ethnic group also uses carved crests very similar in their style, but for these, the animal represents a spirit of the forest.