Mask with hinged jaw "elu" · Nigeria, Ogoni · ID: 3033397
not available anymore
Provenance
Michael Oliver, New York, USAZemanek-Münster Würzburg, 22 Februar 2003, lot 310
Jo de Buck, Brussels, Belgium
Size
H: 23,5 cm
H: 9.3 inch
Description
wood, brown and black patina, big mouth with full heart-shaped lips and three projecting teeth, the lower jaw fixed by plant fibre, remains of wooden splinters forming the teeth, slightly dam., minor missing parts;
“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.