Mask with hinged jaw "elu" ·  Nigéria, Ogoni · ID: 3035569

Description

wood, encrusted black patina, special feature: beak-formed mouth, forehead and temple scarifications, crown-shaped headgear, pierced around the rim, traces of abrasion, socle;
“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.