Mask with hinged jaw "elu" ·  Nigéria, Ogoni · ID: 3033397

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.