Anthropomorphic face mask "okua"
Nigeria, Idoma
Price
EUR 1,000
plus 27 % commission, VAT, transport and insurance
Provenance
Bernd Muhlack, Kiel, Germany (received the mask as a present in Foumban, Cameroon, February 1976)Moctar Touré, Conakry, Guinea (2009)
Peter Willborg, Stockholm, Sweden
Size
H: 21 cm
H: 8.3 inch
Description
wood, pigment remains, metal, rest.
This type of mask is used amongst the southern Idoma. It comes from the Ikom region. There it is used by the “Osokom” clan of the Boki.
The “okua” masks who often dance in pairs, can be seen during funeral ceremonies. Characteristic are the raised temple scarifications, which often can be found on the forehead and chin as well.
Comparing literature
Neyt, Francois, The Arts of the Benue, Michigan 1985, p. 134 ff.Publications
AHDRC: 0170494