Mask "idiok" of the "ekpo" society
Galerie Flak, Paris, France
Description
wood, black patina, white and red paint, pireced areas to both sides of the nose, slightly dam., minor missing parts, abrasion of paint, crack, metal base;
the “ekpo” (Ibibio word for ancestor) society represents the most important Ibibio society. “Ekpo” members danced light coloured “mfon” and black or dark colored “idiok” masks that evoke benign and more numerous malevolent ancestors, respectively. Most Ibibio masks are dark coloured, as embodying ugly, unsatisfied spirits whose behavior provided negative examples for the living. Some were plagued by disease and disfigurement for their transgressions and were destined to wander forever, unhappy and unfulfilled. In contrast, the fewer light colored, attractive masks and tableaux embody benign ancestors who led good, productive, and moral lives. They are positive examples of good behaviour.
Comparing literature
Cole, Herbert M., Invention and Tradition, Munich, London, New York 2012, ill. 89Publications
Visser, Joris (ed.), Cubism, Picasso's contemporaries in African Art, Brussels 2007; Gallery Flak (ed.), Face à Face", Paris 2007, p. 38 & 97AHDRC: 0098924