Anthropomorphic headdress "ekeleke" · Nigeria, Igbo · ID: 3037164
not available anymore
Size
H: 45 cm
H: 17.7 inch
Description
wood, dark brown patina, kaolin (darkened), red paint, inserted wooden teeth, tripartite bud-like hairdo, raised round scarifiction marks, slightly dam. (tip of the coiffure), minor missing parts (backside), abrasion of paint, plate;
“ekeleke” is a festival honoring the water spirits “owu”. It is a finely choreographed performance by several men wearing similar headdresses, imported lace-like cloth head coverings and skirts or wrappers of Indian madras cloth. Virtuosic individual dances alternate with sets danced in unison, activated by a small gong and a drum orchestra playing on the sidelines.
Expertise
Karl-Ferdinand Schädler, 22.04.2003, Munich