Anthropomorphic mask with janus-headed superstructure "okoroshi" ·  Nigeria, Igbo · ID: 3038778

Description

wood, polychrome paint, whitened faces, facial features and ornamental skin scarifications accentuated by black paint, oval mouth parts with bare teeth widely projecting to the front, twelve plug-like projections on both sides of the superstructure, arranged in pairs, one on top of the other, min. dam., missing parts (two plugs), rep. at the same place, traces of insect caused damage (chin, eye zone, neck, backside), base;
northern Igbo masks take many forms: helmets of various configurations, face masks and a variety of headdresses and crest types.

The object Anthropomorphic mask with janus-headed superstructure “okoroshi” with the object ID 3038778 was last part of the auction 80th Tribal Art Auction at June 27, 2015 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 342 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,300.

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Comparing literature

Cole, Herbert M., Igbo, Milan 2013, ill. 35