By Victor Addo Biney, this beautiful mask depicts a man of slender countenance and steady gaze. Rich repoussé textures cover the face, and a smaller face sits at the top of the headdress. The mask is representative of the Hausa people, the largest ethnic group in West Africa. This is an alhaji mask, the artisan explains. Alhaji in the Hausa language refers to an adult male who has visited Mecca.
