Water spirit mask · Nigeria, Ijaw · ID: 3036860
not available anymore
Provenance
Jean-Paul Agogué, Paris, FranceSize
H: 78 cm
H: 30.7 inch
Description
wood, partly shiny patina, polychrome paint, round calotte with tube-shaped protruding eyes and curved nose, the snout reminding of a crocodile, plug-like projection on top, min. dam., fine cracks, slight traces of abrasion;
the life of the Ijaw who live in the extreme wateriness of the Niger Delta is closely connected to water, which is why their headdresses depict aquatic beings instead of bush spirits. These masks were worn horizontal, because the water spirits have their face in one level with the surface of the water as well.
Comparing literature
Anderson, Martha G., Ways of the Rivers, Los Angeles 2001, p. 132