Mask ·  Nigeria, Urhobo · ID: 3034422

Description

wood, polychrome paint, remains of fabric, mirror glass, surmounted by a crown-shaped headgear and a separately carved standing female figure, pierced around the rim, min. dam., traces of abrasion, cracks, metal socle;
the Urhobo are a small Edo-speaking ethnical group living in the northwest of the Nigerdelta. They made sculptures of terracotta and wood for worshipping the ancestors and supernatural powers, as well as wooden masks which were said to be connected with earth- and water spirits.
These rare masks appear at ceremonies for the water spirit “ohworu”. The hairstyle of the mask shows the coiffure of brides, when introduced to the community of the village.

Comparing literature

Hahner-Herzog, Iris, Das Zweite Gesicht, Genf, München, New York 1997, ill. 46