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Object Name: Mask
Artist: Sachihongo (royal male)
Cultural Group: Mbunda peoples
Place of Origin: Zambia
Date/Era: Late 19th-20th century
Dimensions: H: 48.5 cm, W: 26.1 cm, D: 15.0 cm (H: 19.1 in, W: 10.3 in, D: 5.9 in)
Medium/Materials: Wood, nails, plant fiber
Credit Line: Museum purchase with funds provided by Jay T. Last.
Accession Number: X2002.33.16
The best-known style of Sachihongo carving features a large, broad, and usually rounded mask outline. A second style is generally smaller with facial features confined to a narrower, often oval, shape. This mask, which falls within the second category, is somewhat atypical in that all of the facial features seem to bulge equally from the flat, board-like background plane. The extended crown would have once held feathers on its back. Triangular patterns are commonly painted or added to these arched extensions in the form of attached paper strips.