Nimba Headdress, 20th century Nalu culture;Guinea or Guinea-Bissau, Africa Wood and paint; 53 1/2 x 24 x 15 in. 2012.7.1 Gift of Dr. Charles and Eileen Mohler Image Courtesy Heather James Fine Art

If you have been through the doors of our south lobby lately, you will have noticed that there is a new object in the entranceway greeting our visitors. This object is called a nimba headdress. Our particular headdress was made by the Nalu people of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, countries on the West African coast. The headdress itself is visually striking and most certainly warrants the examination of visitors before they even reach the admission desk. While visually complex, nimba headdresses also have quite a story to tell. Nimba headdresses play an important role in the traditional culture of the Nalu and Baga peoples. Traditionally, the nimba headdress was an essential component to ceremonies and celebrations associated with planting and harvesting as well as those marking significant life occasions such as marriages and funerals. A close examination of the headdress makes this usage apparent. The figure’s flat breasts are a symbol of motherhood as well as the commitment and sacrifice a woman makes in order to successfully nurture and raise her children. This also suggests fertility and life which are important when celebrating a new harvest or marriage. When danced, the carving was worn over the head of the dancer whose body was covered by a long mantle of raffia or similar fibers. The dancer’s only means of seeing was through one or two small holes between the nimba’s breasts. Interestingly enough, the nimba image played a significant role in the development of the primitive and modernist art movements in the early twentieth century. Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse were particularly influential in the origins of these movements; however the influence of the nimba can specifically be seen in the artwork of Picasso. Picasso saw African masks and sculptures as a way to freely and creatively express his view of subjects without having the preoccupation of entertaining viewers with decorative subjects and paintings. In the 1930s, Picasso purchased a nimba headdress and art historians have suggested that his early sculptural works were inspired by his nimba headdress and other African pieces. Specifically, the influence of African masks can be seen in his well-known busts of his mistress Marie-Thérèse that were created in the 1930s. All text and images under copyright. Please contact Collection Department for permission to use. Information subject to change upon further research.