Serpent Headdress
Unknown Artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
Medium
Wood (Nauclea pobeguinii) and paint
Dimensions
h. 148 cm
Classification
Mask
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Norweb Collection
Accession Number
1960.37
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Traditionally, Baga society was ruled by village councils of elders who derived their power from their direct contact with spirit entities through lifelong initiation rituals and the accumulation of secret knowledge. Two different religious orders controlled initiations, providing the context for much Baga art. One was identified as female, the other as male, though only men belonged to both groups. Initiations in each order followed three stages, culminating in the revelation of the highest spi...