IDNO

N.13284.GIJ

Description

A close up view of a masquerade character performing in the Okwanku masquerade wearing a wooden face mask with high forehead, slit eyes, long nose, mouth, long raffia hair and a hat on top. The face of the mask has white pigment. The character is playing a horned instrument. In the background are spectators.

Place

W Africa; Nigeria; South Eastern Nigeria; Cross River area; Akanu village

Cultural Affliation

Igbo [historically Ibo]; Ohaffia

Named Person

Photographer

Jones, Gwilliam Iwan (known as G.I.)

Collector / Expedition

Date

1932 - 1938

Collection Name

Jones Collection

Source

Jones, Gwilliam Iwan (known as G.I.)

Format

Film Negative Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

This negative was kept in a film storage album labelled “ISU-OCHI - etc. ...” by G. I. Jones, and numbered “C13/” by the cataloguer.

Context: In describing the Cross River style of masquerades, Jones writes that the carvers made both skin-covered and plain wooden heads and masks and looked particularly to the Ibibio for their ideas. Some of the Ohaffia towns had masquerades and masks peculiar to them. In the Akanu town Okwanku masquerade the characters acted together in a comic drama in which the character called Dibia (Doctor) poisoned the one called Rain Driver and then brought him back to life again.” (Jones, 1989, p. 61). Interestinly, Jones notes that in this part of Nigeria they do not have rain-makers but specialists who can drive rain away (Jones, 1984, p.209).

Bibliographical Reference: Jones, G.I., 1984. The Art of Eastern Nigeria (Cambridge University Press)
Jones, G.I. 1989. Ibo Art. (Shire)

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Alicia Fentiman 6/2/2008]

Publication: The photograph has been digitised for the European Collected Library of Artistic Performance (ECLAP) and is accessible on the portal http://www.eclap.eu/drupal/. [SG 30/10/2012]