Baga Nimba - Baga - Guinea

Baga Nimba from the beginning of 1900, made of dense, heavy, and hard wood, with a splendid patina.
Baga Nimba is one of the most well-known sculptures of the Baga culture of Guinea (West Africa).
La Nimba is a large traditional mask sculpture of the Baga people, known for their wooden works.
It represents the ideals of femininity, fertility, and motherhood.
It is one of the most important artistic symbols of West Africa.
It is a large female head/torso sculpture carved in wood, often over a meter tall, as in this case.
Breasts are very prominent, a symbol of nourishment and protective mother.
The features are stylized and imposing.
It was worn on the head like a kind of enormous helmet during rituals and ceremonies.
La Nimba represents
The primordial mother of the Baga people
fertility of the fields
prosperity of the community
female protection and wisdom
Today, Nimba is considered a masterpiece of African art.
It is exhibited in many museums around the world and is an icon of traditional West African aesthetics.