Mask "amawalu" · Nigeria, Igbo-Afikpo · ID: 3035731
Description
wood, matt patina, polychrome paint, slit eyes flanking an open-worked forehead-nose-ridge, surmounted by a high towering projection with piercings, painted with dotted pattern, pierced around the rim, min. dam., small missing parts, traces of abrasion;
the Afikpo, an eastern Ibo group who live on the Cross River, comprise a distinctive substyle within the diverse Ibo style range. Their masks, carved with elaborate patterns and painted in bold colors, create a multitude of characters for their popular “okumkpa” masquerade and other dramatizations.
The object Mask “amawalu” with the object ID 3035731 was last part of the auction 75th tribal art auction at November 30, 2013 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 180.
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
Roberts, Allen F., The shape of belief, San Francisco 1997, p. 88, ill. 61