Object of the Month: October 2025

Chosen and described by members of Leicester’s Afro Innovation Group, our partners in Black History Month at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery.

These masks have been in our collection for over 30 years - until recently, we have known little about their origin or significance. They are made of wood and dyed a reddish colour. The chisel marks are clear on the reverse side of the masks. The masks are likely from the north-east of Tanzania.

While the designs of the masks certainly have meaning, they are unlikely to be purely devotional objects. There are fertility aspects to some of the masks as well as depictions of spirits (possibly Igbo) and depictions of animals that are probably Masai in origin. 

 

 

The Object of the Month can be seen in person throughout October at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery.