Mask "akuma" ·  Nigeria, Jukun · ID: 3034922

Description

wood, blotched patina, remains of kaolin, plant fibre cord, cleft lips, crowned by bent horns, pierced around the rim, rep. (breakage right horn tip), cracks, traces of abrasion, metal socle;
belonging to the “akuma” cult. The mask was used manifold. It was called upon for healing a sick person or for thanking the deity immediately prior to the harvest of corn, it was performed at important funerals, for greeting important visitors and helped to celebrate a good fortune. The mask is worn tipped back at an angle of about thirty degrees from the vertical.

The object Mask “akuma” with the object ID 3034922 was last part of the auction 73rd tribal art auction at May 25, 2013 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 255 achieved a sales price of EUR 6,000.

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.

Comparing literature

Evers, Christophe, Art of the Upper Benue River, Brüssel 2003, p. 39