Vintage Wood and Shell African Mask

Description

Vintage Wood and Shell African Mask.
This opening of this mask measures approximately 5.5” wide and 10” long. The banding of cowrie/cowry shells and fabric adds another inch or so on the circumference. The shells are intact; the wood is in original order but the fabric needs some stitching.
My husband bought this mask in Liberia in 1980, when he was there on a work assignment along with another I will list next. He bargained with a local vendor who appeared weekly with a variety of masks.
I know the cowrie/cowry shells are a symbol of wealth and fertility and represent The Goddess of Ocean Protection.