Water spirit headdress · Nigeria, Ijaw · ID: 3047366
sold
EUR 2,000
Provenance
Michel Gosse, Caen / Paris, FranceHelmut Zake, Heidelberg, Germany (1978)
Ketterer, Munich, 30 April 1988, Lot 404
Size
L: 61 cm
L: 24.0 inch
Description
wood, white pigment,
This mask is the embodiment of a water spirit “owu”, as it is worn in mask dances of the male societies “ekine” and “sekiapu”.
The headdresses always combine human features with those of aquatic creatures, often with the long snout of a crocodile.
“Ekine” performances constitute a highly appreciated form of entertainment and invoke local water spirits for assistance and guidance in various matters.
Comparing literature
Cole, Herbert M., Invention and Tradition, Munich, London, New York 2012, p. 71 f.