Accession No

Z 13784


Description

Akpukpo uno. Maumwu. An older man's maumwu mask, used for dancing in the dry season at the feast of Ngene. The wooden mask depicts a human face with a carved brow, two eye holes, a nose with nostril details and an open mouth. There may also be scarification marks carved on the face. There appear to have once been small sticks embedded in the mask's chin which may have represented facial hair. There is a white pigment coating some areas of the mask. The mask is fragmentary and has been repaired historically by looping fibre and cane through small holes, to hold pieces back together (it has at some point been damaged by wood boring insects). Attached to the mask are many lengths of textile forming a draping headdress behind the mask. Some identified textiles present include; brown cloth with plant fibre tassels, light brown cloth with a blue linear pattern, dark brown woven wool with a red and orange pattern, cloth with alternating bands of blue and light brown, brown cloth with a red square pattern and the same in inverted colours and twisted strands of blue and brown. The textiles have several areas of staining and have been damaged by pest activity. The mask and headdress have many small objects tied to them. Including; gourds, cowrie shells, nuts, metal bells, a ceramic vessel, a woven basket with a stone inside, the jawbone of a small animal and bone fragments from possibly a crocodile or turtle.


Place

Africa; West Africa; Nigeria; Anambra State; Nibo


Period


Source

Thomas, Northcote Whitridge [field collector]; Bevan, Anthony Ashley (Prof.) [monetary donor]


Department

Anth


Reference Numbers

Z 13784; 484 (Thomas Coll. - 2nd Thomas Cat.); 780 [Thomas Coll. label]


Cultural Affliation

Igbo; Nibo


Material

Wood; Plant; Fibre; Gourd; Shell; Cane; Textile; Cloth; Wool; Metal; Pigment


Local Term

Akpukpo uno; maumwu


Measurements


Events

Description (Physical description)
Old men's maumwu for dance in dry season at feast of Ngene. Mask with large headdress of cloth, cowries, small gourds etc, attached. (Wooden face broken)

Event Date 24/5/2000
Author: maa


Description (Physical description)
Wooden mask broken and held together with ?original plant fibre stitches. Behind this is black felt-like material and an area of plant fibres. This is insecure and becoming detached from the main body of the mask. Attachments also include a small animal mandible, a small piece of cane basketry and machine woven ?woollen cloth and printed cloth. Object is bundled together and shedding fibres. It is also emitting clouds of white ?dust.
Event Date 2/5/2001
Author: Katrina Dring


Context (Amendments / updates)
Thomas Collection label accompanies object.
Event Date 2/5/2001
Author: maa


Context (Related Documents)
See E 1910.118 and E 1913.3 records for further details about the Thomas Collection from Nigeria.
Event Date 7/5/2001
Author: Katrina Dring


Description (Physical description)
Akpukpo uno. Maumwu. An older man's maumwu mask, used for dancing in the dry season at the feast of Ngene. The wooden mask depicts a human face with a carved brow, two eye holes, a nose with nostril details and an open mouth. There may also be scarification marks carved on the face. There appear to have once been small sticks embedded in the mask's chin which may have represented facial hair. There is a white pigment coating some areas of the mask. The mask is fragmentary and has been repaired historically by looping fibre and cane through small holes, to hold pieces back together (it has at some point been damaged by wood boring insects). Attached to the mask are many lengths of textile forming a draping headdress behind the mask. Some identified textiles present include; brown cloth with plant fibre tassels, light brown cloth with a blue linear pattern, dark brown woven wool with a red and orange pattern, cloth with alternating bands of blue and light brown, brown cloth with a red square pattern and the same in inverted colours and twisted strands of blue and brown. The textiles have several areas of staining and have been damaged by pest activity. The mask and headdress have many small objects tied to them. Including; gourds, cowrie shells, nuts, metal bells, a ceramic vessel, a woven basket with a stone inside, the jawbone of a small animal and bone fragments from possibly a crocodile or turtle.
Event Date 30/9/2021
Author: Annie Tomkins


FM:124107

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