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Ishieen Maal (Sheela Mala) Mask

Ishieen Maal (Sheela Mala) Mask

Maker Kuba
Label TextProjecting eyes surrounded by holes send a stronger message than other Kuba masks. These eyes and the feather coiffures are signature elements of the warriors, charged with policing communities to ward off conflicts. In performances, the character has been observed as a vigorous dancer who directly confronts musicians and audiences.
Object number2001.49
Published ReferencesSeattle Art Museum: Bridging Cultures, London: Scala Publishers Ltd. for the Seattle Art Museum, 2007, p. 49
Credit LineGift of the Christensen Fund
Dimensions5 11/16 x 10 x 11in. (14.5 x 25.4 x 27.9cm)
MediumRaffia, raffia, feathers, cowrie shells, fiber (cut pile weave)
Congolese
Object number: 2001.48
Photo: Paul Macapia
Ejagham
1973
Object number: 81.17.1977
Gela Mask (The Ancient One)
Wee
Object number: 81.17.193
Kuba
Object number: 2001.301
Gable mask
Melanesian
Object number: 65.78
Congolese
Object number: 2001.44
Congolese
Object number: 2001.304
Kuba
Object number: 2001.42
Kuba
Object number: 2001.43
Headdress
Maasai
Object number: 81.17.1025