Mask with hinged jaw "elu" · Nigeria, Ogoni · ID: 3033397
Zemanek-Münster Würzburg, 22 Februar 2003, lot 310
Jo de Buck, Brussels, Belgium
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.
The object Mask with hinged jaw “elu” with the object ID 3033397 was last part of the auction 70th tribal art auction at September 8, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 312.
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