IDNO

LS.52067.GIJ

Description

Part of the Nkporo Ifogu masquerade.
Two masqueraders wearing crested plumed, feather headdresses with circular cowrie shell detail, coloured netted raffia hoods which taper to extended points, tight raffia cloth ‘shirts’ and ‘tights’ and woven cloths tied around the waist. One of the masqueraders is holding a cloth? in his hand. In the background are bystanders, a thatched building and trees.

Physical Condition: Slight yellowing of negative.

Place

Africa; Nigeria

Cultural Affliation

Igbo [historically Ibo]; Nkporo

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.52067.GIJ to LS.52076.GIJ were found inside a cardboard box now numbered C247/6/1/. This box was inside a paper bag now numbered C247/6/ 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 published on John McCall’s G.I. Jones website with the following information: [Source: www.siu.edu/~anthro/mccall/jones/, AF ]
1. Index to Nkporo Igbo
2. Ofogu mask Boys initiation, Etiti Ama (16th image).

This image is reproduced as Plate II in Jones.G.I. 1939 and is described as Ifogu, Plumed Acrobats.

Context: G. I. Jones describes this specific masquerade in his article ‘Ifogu Nkporo’: "... Following [the two main dancers] were two apparitions that seemed to have made rather an unsuccessful raid on a repertoire company’s property chest and come away with some acrobatic tights and Hiawatha headdresses. Over their faces they wore the same raffia bags as the band. One corner of the bags hung down in front of their faces like the drooping snout of a tapir, and when they wanted to see where they were going they stroked their snouts with their hands and drew them out in front of them. How they managed to get into their tights, which were of woven raffia, was an unsolved mystery." (Jones.G.I. 1939, 120).

See also plate 54, Jones.G.I. 1989, 62. The caption for this image reads: "Ifogu masquerade, Nkporo tribe, Cross River Ibo. Hooded character with headdress of birds’ feathers and a rosette of cowrie shells, attached to a netted bag with streamer ends that can be pulled out in front in order to see the way. He has to be sewn into his costume of raffia sacking for each performance."

Bibliographical Reference:
Jones, G.I. 1939, ‘Ifogu Nkporo’, Nigerian Field, Vol.VIII, pp.119-121.
Jones, G.I., 1984. The Art of Eastern Nigeria (Cambridge University Press)
Jones, G.I. 1989. Ibo Art (Shire Publications)

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the
Getty Grant Program Two. [Alicia Fentiman 29/10/2007]