Bird Mask Ring

The Bird Mask Ring draws inspiration from the bird masks of the Ligbi people, also known as Djimini, from Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Characterised by the fusion of human features with the powerful beak of the hornbill, these masks carry a strong ritual presence and belong to a symbolic world in which the wearer does not simply adorn the body, but momentarily embodies the spirit of the mask itself.

In the tradition that inspires this piece, the bearer of the mask enters into communion with nature, becoming a vessel for an ancestral presence. Marcella reinterpreted this idea here through the ring’s sculptural design: its arms and legs wrap around the finger, so that the wearer becomes, symbolically, the carrier of the mask.

The piece embraces a deliberately rustic aesthetic, preserving the raw, expressive quality of the original source, while the emerald-set eyes introduce an unexpected richness and a subtle note of playfulness. The contrast between the rough sculptural language and the luminous refinement of the stones brings another layer of beauty to the symbolism of the piece.

Created as both ornament and talisman, the Bird Mask Ring transforms the hand into a site of presence, myth and adornment.