96 - Shoulder mask of the deity Nimba or D'mba, Baga, Guinea, wood, nails, H. 61 cm x W. 25 cm. A large, bell-shaped female bust mounted on four straight legs, symbolizing the fertility of young brides and the fertility of the fields. The entire sculpture, with the exception of the head and chest, was covered by a loose-fitting costume. The imposing head is crowned with a helmet featuring a curved crest, engraved with braids and chevrons. The rounded face is marked by a sagittal axis running through the beak-like nose, beneath which a mouth is carved.The broad, breastplate-like chest bears the same decoration, with brass studs set into it; the sagging breasts suggest that this woman has given birth. The legs are pierced with holes for attaching the stretcher held by assistants who helped maneuver this very heavy and poorly balanced mask. The Nimba mask is one of the most iconic sculptures in African art, and also one of the most monumental; few works reach these dimensions or possess such evocative power. It originated among the Waja people of Nigeria but found its most accomplished form among the Baga people of Guinea; in Sierra Leone, the Limba people carried it at their side, without covering their heads for fear of the power it holds. When this mask was in use, it towered high above the audience, as evidenced by an engraving from 1886 in the magazine *Le Tour du monde*, as well as by accounts from travelers who had seen it on the swamp islands among the BAGA people. Performances featuring this mask ceased in the late 1950s due to Islamic prohibitions. Books on African art often refer to it as “Nimba,” a non-indigenous name from the SUSSU; whereas the BAGA explicitly call it “D’mba.”