Baga Nimba Shoulder Mask

Artist Unknown (Guinea, Baga)

Place of OriginGuinea

Date20th Century

Dimensions50 3/4 in. (128.9 cm)

Mediumwood,metal

ClassificationSculpture

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey, by exchange

Object number

2024.16

Not on View

DescriptionLarge wood mask with exaggerated head, nose, hairstyle, and chin featuring decorative markings throughout the face and body. An extended stylized neck, pendulous breasts, and four legs comprise the substructure.

Published ReferencesFagg, W., African Tribal Images. The Katherine White Reswick Collection , Cleveland, 1968, n° 42. Paudrat, J.-L. and Savary, C., Collection Barbier Müller, Geneva. Sculptures of Africa , Geneva, 1977, pp. 31-32 and 75, no. 8. Fagg, W., African masks in the collections of the Barbier-Müller museum , Paris, 1980, pp. 34-35 Jones, J. et al. , Exotic Kunst aus der Barbier-Müller Sammlung. Amerika, Afrika, Südsee , Solothurn, 1981, p. 71. Bastin, ML, Introduction to the arts of black Africa , Arnouville, 1984, pp. 122 and 123, no. 99. Hierro, J., Yesterday, today, tomorrow. A look at the collections and activities of the Barbier-Mueller museum 1977-1987/Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. The Collections and Activities of the Barbier-Mueller Museum 1977-1987 , Geneva, 1987, p. 45. Schmalenbach, W. et al. , Arts of black Africa in the Barbier-Mueller collection/Afrikanische Kunst aus der Sammlung Barbier-Mueller, Genf , Munich, 1988, pp. 98 and 99, no. 36. Meyer, L., Black Africa. Masks, sculptures, jewelry/Black Africa. Masks, Sculpture, Jewelry , Paris, 1991, pp. 74 and 75, n° 57. Newton, D. and Waterfield, H., Sculpture. Masterpieces from the Barbier-Mueller/Tribal Sculpture Museum. Masterpieces from Africa, South East Asia and the Pacific in the Barbier-Mueller Museum , Geneva, 1995, p. 44. Montañés, E. et al. , Historia del arte. El arte en América, África y Oceanía , Barcelona, 1996, p. 2621. Hahner-Herzog, I. et al. , The other face. African masks from the Barbier-Mueller/African Masks collection. The Barbier-Mueller Collection/Das zweite Gesicht. Afrikanische Masken aus der Sammlung Barbier-Mueller , Munich, 1997, pp. 78-79 and 250, pl. 22, no. 65. Boyer, A.-M., Butor, M. and Morin, F., Man and his masks. Masterpieces from the Barbier-Mueller museums , Geneva, 2005, pp. 110-111 and 331, no. 20. Semprün, J. et al. , Picasso. The man with a thousand masks , Paris, 2006, pp. 164 and 165, n° 52. Alleva, A. d' et al. , Arts of Africa and Oceania. Fleurons of the Barbier-Mueller/Arts of Africa and Oceania museum. Highlights from the Barbier-Mueller Museum , Geneva, 2007, pp. 122-123 and 386. Berliner, D., Baga. Religious Memories , Geneva, 2013, pp. 68-69 and back cover, no. 1. Berliner, D., Baga. Religious memories, Geneva, 2016, front cover, pp. 68 and 69, no. 1.Exhibition HistoryGeneva, Barbier-Mueller Museum, African Sculptures , March 20 - September 23, 1978. Solothurn, Kunstmuseum Solothurn, African Masks in the collections of the Barbier-Müller Museum , January 1 - December 31, 1980 . Solothurn, Kunstmuseum Solothurn, Exotische Kunst aus der Barbier-Müller Sammlung. Amerika, Afrika, Südsee , May 2 - November 20, 1981. Düsseldorf, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Afrikanische Kunst aus der Sammlung Barbier-Mueller, Geneva , February 27 - April 10, 1988; Frankfurt am Main, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, June 4 - August 14, 1988; Munich, Haus der Kunst, December 17, 1988 - February 19, 1989; Geneva, Rath Museum, March 15 - May 15, 1989; Bern, Kunstmuseum Bern, August 12 - October 22, 1989. Geneva, Barbier-Mueller Museum, Sculpture. Masterpieces from the Barbier-Mueller Museum , September 1995 – n.d. Munich, Haus der Kunst, Das zweite Gesicht. Afrikanische Masken aus der Sammlung Barbier-Mueller/The other face. African masks from the Barbier-Mueller collection , February 7 - April 24, 1997; Bielefeld, Kunsthalle Bielefeld, May 15 - August 3, 1997; Luxembourg, General Bank of Luxembourg, September 15 - November 23, 1997; Tervuren, Royal Museum for Central Africa, May 29 - September 13, 1998; Paris, Mona Bismarck American Center, September 21 - October 28, 1999. Geneva, MEG - Geneva Museum of Ethnography, MEG guest. The Barbier-Mueller Museum, April 24, 2007 - August 26, 2007. Geneva, Barbier-Mueller Museum, Discover the Baga , October 17, 2013 - May 4, 2014. Marseille, Center de la Vieille Charité, MAAOA - Museum of African, Oceanian, Amerindian arts , Baga. Art of Guinea. Collection of the Barbier-Mueller Museum , May 13 - September 18, 2016. Solothurn, Kunstmuseum Solothurn, 40 years of the Barbier-Mueller Museum - Outside the walls. Tribute to Josef Müller , September 2, 2017 - February 4, 2018.