Water spirit headdress

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Description

wood, pigments,
Water spirits “owuamapu” play an important role in the religious ideas of the Ijaw.

They are embodied by masks that always combine human features with those of aquatic creatures

The performances of the masks were colourful spectacles with high entertainment value and should invoke local water spirits for assistance and guidance.

It is claimed that these performances imitate dances of the water spirits themselves, and the masks sometimes exit or enter from the water.

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Comparing literature

Cole, Herbert M., Invention and Tradition, Munich, London, New York 2012, p. 71 ff.

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