Deformation mask "idiok ekpo" ·  Nigeria, Ibibio · ID: 3040374

Description

wood, blackish brown patina, red pigment, marked with a twisted nose “ibuo akwanga” and strongly deformed mouth area, slightly dam., minor missing parts (mouth, rim backside), drilled holes around rim partly broken;
during mask performances of the “ekpo” society, reincarnated ancestors who were immoral, agitated and wayward are represented in masks called “idiok ekpo”, whose moral ugliness is indicated through the dark surfaces and disfigurations from diseases like “gangosa”, facial paralysis or leprosy.

The object Deformation mask “idiok ekpo” with the object ID 3040374 was last part of the auction 83rd Tribal Art Auction at May 28, 2016 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 253 achieved a sales price of EUR 800.

You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.