Janiform helmet mask, before 1920

Description

wood, hide, pigments,

The technique of covering carved wooden helmet masks with skin is unique to the area along the Cross River, which straddles the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. Artists used antelope skin softened by a lengthy soaking in water.

The headdresses were used by mask societies on a wide variety of occasions, such as military victories, burials of society members, initiation rituals or public seasonal festivals.