Mask with hinged jaw "elu"

Description

wood, brown and black paint, of oval hollowed form, crowned by a coiffure in two lobes, flanking the forehead in two horn-like plaits, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion;
“elu” masks are worn by young men of the Ogoni secret society. They were attached to a cone-shaped fibre and cloth cap. The corresponding costumes varied. The small caricatures represent different characters. In a funny or tragic way they illustrate oral traditions in stories and songs.

Comparing literature