IDNO

LS.52064.GIJ

Description

A documentation photograph of an Central Ijo mask called Ekeni or Ezotu. The wooden head mask consists of a rounded central frame with a head carved in the centre. The head consists of a high forehead with a line in the center, two rounded peg like eyes, nose and rectangular mouth with a serrated top representing teeth. The mask has white pigmenation on it. The top of the mask is a board with two peg like protrusions and the bottom of the maks is a flat wooden board with a hole in the bottom.

Place

Africa; Nigeria

Cultural Affliation

Ijo

Named Person

Photographer

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

Collector / Expedition

Date

circa 1930 - 1939

Collection Name

Jones Collection

Source

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

Format

Lantern Slide Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

LS.52058.GIJ to LS.52066.GIJ were found with the piece of paper now numbered C247/5/ which was in wooden box formerly numbered 22. It has now been renumbered C247/ by the cataloguer.

The inscription on the box as well as a descriptive list of slides pasted on the inside lid of the box indicates that it originally contained lantern slides from the Fens and belonged to D.G. Reid.

However, the lantern slides are attributed to G.I. Jones because the handwriting on the papers found inside wooden box C246/ is similar to the handwriting on the papers found inside wooden box C247/.

Publication: Same image in Jones, 1984, Figure 68, p. 160 with the caption "Head Mask".

Publication: Same image published on John McCall’s G.I. Jones website with the following information: [Source: www.siu.edu/~anthro/mccall/jones/, AF ]
1. Index to Ibibio, Ijo and Ogoni
2. Ijaw
3. Cultural Igbo, near Forcados, called Ekeni or Ezotu (Pitt Rivers Museum 1938 15.4) (6th image).

Context: Jones discusses the Delta major stlye and notes that, "The Delta style was much more restricted in scuptural forms and in the convenitons whihc governed their representations. The stylisation was much greater and attempts at realism in the treatment, for example, of the human face were much more rarer. We can distinguish two very distinct local styles, Central Ijo and Eastern or Kalabari Ijo...The Central Ijo style wsa produced by communities, mainly Ijo, to the west and north-west of the Nun River; the Kalabari style by the four tribal states of Nembe (Brass), Kalabari (New Calabar), Bonny and Okrika and by other Ijo communities living east of the Nun River.

The Delta style lacked any face masks: the carvings in the masquerades were worn on the heads of the characters and were of three types: (1) head masks carried horizontally on the actor’s head and facing upwards; (2) heads which were vertical constructions with one, two or more faces resting on a single neck which, if it was large enough, was hollowed slightly at the base to fit on to the actor’s head or if too small for this was attached to a basketwork frame for the same purpose; (3) complete figures ususally of fishes or animals carried horizontally on the actor’s head and either resting directly on it or being attached to a platform or basketwork frame. The head masks and heads were highly stylised, the fish carvings were treated more naturalistically.

The characteristics of the Delta style are most clearly shown in teh treatment given to the human face. This was broken down into its salient features, forehead, eyes, nose, mouth and teeth, and these were isolated into separate geometric forms rishing up of an expressionless voic. Ears were ignored and omitted, or if shown were placed lateally and not indicated on the frnt of the face. In some cases they were wooden or leather discs pegged or nailed on to the side of the carving. The face was broken down into two planes, a high one reprsenting the line of the brows which were arched in the central Ijo head masks, straing in the case of the Kalabari ones. From this lowere plane two oval or circular cylinders prohjected upward to represent the eyes and between them the nose, which was attached to the higher plane of the forehead. Below the nose was a square rectangular box with a serrated top repsenting the mouth and teeth as shown in this photograph. (Jones, 1§984, pp.159-161)

Context: Jones defines and describes what he terms he "Central Ijo local style". "The Ijo inhabit mos to fthe Niger Delta, its western extension as far as Lagos and its eastward extension as far as the Andon River. Those occupying the central part of the Delta from the Forcados to the Nun River and covnering inland to the Niger, I have called Central Ijo; Horton refers to them as the Western Ijo and Talbot divides them into Western and Lower Ijaw, but also includes Nembe among this last group. Sculputure in this local style epitomosised....

Bibliographical Reference:
Jones, G.I., 1984. The Art of Eastern Nigeria (Cambridge University Press)
Horton, R. 1965 Kalabari Sculpture (Dept of Aniquities Lagos)
This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Alicia Fentiman 5/2/2008]