Helmet mask "agbanabo"
Jan Lundberg, Malmö, Sweden
Description
wood, black patina, kaolin, long snout with rectangular opening, sickle-shaped see slits, linear grooves aside, as well as straight across the nose and the forehead, notched forehead ridge, slightly dam., (nose bridge, rim of the snout), min. abrasion, crack backside;
according to F. Neyt, this type of mask is similar to the nine royal Igala masks. “Its origin is connected with the first Igala ruler, Ayegba (late 17th century). The life of the Igala people and that of their souvereign was centered on their festivals. Every year, these were peaks of extraordinary intensity in the life of the kingdom. Royal authority was covered with prestige and was reinforced thanks to political and ritual ceremonies in which masks played an important part…” God was able to act on behalf of the people through their ruler. The people gained renewed vitality, and bad luck and disasters lurking in everyday life were warded off. “Agbanabo” also possesses enormous healing powers. He is feared not only by women and children, but also by those who have not yet undergone their initiation in the “agbanabo” masquerade.