Mask · Nigeria, Eket · ID: 3037530
Antonio Fiacco, Zurich, Switzerland
Description
light brown wood, slighlty encrusted dark brown patina, of narrow elongated form, sickle-shaped pierced eyes with two further openings below, crowned by a post-shaped elongated female half figure with hat-like headgear, min. dam., traces of insect caused damage, abrasion;
the Eket are a small ethnic group belonging to the Ibibio. Just like the Ibibio the Eket have an “ekpo” society, a society of soothsayers, called “idiong”, a society named after the god of war “ekong” and the “ogbom” society worshipping the goddess of fertility.
The object Mask with the object ID 3037530 was last part of the auction 78th tribal art auction at October 18, 2014 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 285.
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Comparing literature
Neyt, Francois, L'Art Eket, Paris 1979, ill. 31