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Serpent Headdress
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Nearly five feet tall, this serpent headdress towered above crowds when danced. Its two faces seemed to look in all directions. Secured by a conical framework of palm branches on a costumed man’s head, it appeared at key points in initiation rites for both boys and girls. This multi-colored snake may be the serpent-spirit Ninkinanka. It can be likened to the rainbow, whose changing colors evoke how boys transform into men during initiation. A staged circa 1954 photograph depicts the serpent headdress now at the CMA. Serpent masquerades stopped in the mid-1950s when most Nalu and Baga people converted to Islam.
| Artist / Maker | Anonymous, possibly Baga-style maker |
|---|---|
| Date | late 1800s–early 1900s |
| Culture / Origin | Africa, West Africa, Guinea, possibly Baga-style maker |
| Medium | Wood (Nauclea pobeguinii) and paint |
| Dimensions | Overall: 148 cm (58 1/4 in.) |
| Department | African Art |
| Type | Mask |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
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