Masque "okoroshioma", environ 1900
Östlund was a sailor throughout his life. He spent a lot of time in Western Africa, particularly in Nigeria, where he collected the present mask, which remained family property since that time.
Description
wood, white and indigo blue pigment, black paint, traces of turquoise, smiling mouth, upper lip plug, raised scarification marks, slightly dam., missing part (backside at the rim/chin area), rep. (breakage at the left rim), abrasion of paint, traces of old age and usage;
in “owu” season (at the peak of rainy season) the water spirits descent to earth from their homes in the clouds in order to dwell and cavort among human beings. These legendary spirits materialize in villages as masqueraders. All maskers are called “okoroshi”, best translated as “water spirit”. The benign and friendly ones are “okoroshioma” - “beautiful spirits”, white-faced and white-dressed. The Igbo word “oma” means good, pretty, and light. Their aggressive male counterparts in dark blankets are called “okoroshi ojo”, “ojo” meaning dark, ugly or heavy.