TRIBAL AFRICAN ART IGBO MGBEDIKE MASK. Nigeria. This mask type stands in certain conceptual opposition to the maiden genre. It relates to male spirits, and its name, Mgbedike, translates as “time of the brave.” Its fearful and aggressive character is emphasized in the iconography. Horns and spikes protrude from the elaborate openwork superstructure, which incorporates animals such as leopards, horses with riders, snakes, monkeys, and antelope heads. The strength of these wild animals is a metaphor for the mysterious and potentially destructive power of spirits or medicines from the disorder of the wilderness. 50cm, x 20cm