IDNO

LS.52071.GIJ

Description

An Ibibio mask with a superstructure attached to it. The face of the mask is serene and humanistic. There are incised designs on the head, slit eyes, nose and moveable jaw (added later), square etched markings on the sides of the face. The superstructure consists of scalloped pieces of wood, with a central rounded panel with two bird like carvings and above is a small face with similar serene features of the face mask. A hole is on the top of the mask with a piece of twine. Straw or fibre hair is attached at the back of the mask. Two pieces of plaited or braided twine hang down on either side. The mask is displayed on a pole.

Place

Africa; Nigeria

Cultural Affliation

Ibibio

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: An image of the same mask is reproduced in Jones.G.I. 1984 as Figure 87, p.178, with the caption "‘Beautiful’ mask".

Context: Jones devotes a chapter to the Anang (Ibibio) style and shows the diversity in the masks and sculptures. Jones writes that, "The Ibibio style was only one of a number of styles found in the Anang area. I called it Anang (Ibibio), distinguishing where necessary between Traditional Anang (Ibibio), the style of the Ekpo socieity masks, and modern Anang (Ibibio), the style of some of their Ekong masks and other more recent masquerades as well as some of most of the heads, masks and figures which they made for sale outside the area.

There is a wide range of masks and "it was in this style and in this area that Eastern Nigeria face masks attained their greatest development. They were heart-shaped, oval or rectangular in form and they could be carved on circular or on rectangular panels , they could have additional smaller faces carved on the forehead, on a superstructure above it, or on panels hinged to its sides. While normally human in form, they could on occasion be in animal form, or in a combination of human, animal or bird features in order to horify and strike terror into the beholder. But another type of Anang mask achieved this even more successfully by depicting faces ravaged by disfiguring tropical diseases (for instance, rodent ulcers, gangosa, nodular leprosy). These pathological masks were peculiar to the Ibibio, though some were copied by Northern Ibo. Another feature confined to masks in this Anang (Ibibio) style was the representation of the Idiong ring, a circlet of leather fitting tightly around the forehead - the insignia of a member of the prestigious Ididong society ofdoctors and diviners. Another exclusive feature which the ibibio shared with those of the Ogoni was the possession in many cases of a moveable lower jaw. Keloids and other scarifications were not of much use in distinguishing between Ibibio masks. Many carried a rectangular groups of them on each temple, often balanced by one in the center of the forehead, some carried a single vertical scar on the forehead, while some were without any facial markings." (Jones, 1984, pp. 74-179)

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

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Alicia Fentiman 18/3/2008]