Mask with hinged jaw "elu" · Nigeria, Ogoni · ID: 3036800
not available anymore
Provenance
Emil Storrer, Zurich, SwitzerlandSize
H: 39,5 cm
H: 15.6 inch
Description
wood, matt encrusted greyish brown patina, box-shaped superstructure with calabash (?), pierced around the rim, min. dam., small missing parts through insect caused damage (back, superstructure), cracks, traces of abrasion, base;
“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.