Mask "mwanyi ogada" · Nigeria, Izzi/Igbo · ID: 3038300
sold
EUR 5,000
Provenance
Michel Lair, FranceAlain de Monbrison, Paris, France (1992)
Frederick Wallace, Sarasota, USA
Size
H: 42 cm
H: 16.5 inch
Description
wood, matt patina, polychrome paint, facial scarifications, coiffure with high middle crest, carved with combs on both sides, min. dam., small missing parts, fine cracks, slight traces of abrasion, base;
such masks were part of a masquerade called “okperegede” and were danced annually during the dry season by small groups (Ezza, Izzi, Ikwo) living beyond the rain-forest area of Igbo country. The masks and costumes they wear are called “ogbodo”, and represent spirits made visible by the dancer.
Comparing literature
Cole, Herbert M. & Chike C. Aniakor, Igbo Arts, Los Angeles 1984, p. 152, ill. 266