Mask "igri" · Nigeria, Igbo · ID: 3033251
Harald & Ursula Suhr, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada / Germany
Description
wood, polychrome paint, of narrow, elongated form with tapering chin and shield-shaped flattened forehead, enlivened by flat compartments, grooves and struts accentuated by changing colours, attached to a grass fibre base, plant fibre coiffure, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion;
this type is fairly rare, and can be worn by singers and musicians, among others. Apparently it is worn by older men. Another name for the type, “okonkpo”, indicates its similarity in shape to a large wooden food tray.
The object Mask “igri” with the object ID 3033251 was last part of the auction 70th tribal art auction at September 8, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 138 achieved a sales price of EUR 3,200.
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Comparing literature
Wittmer, Marcilene K., Arnett, William, Three Rivers of Nigeria, Atlanta 1978, p. 32, ill. 72