IDNO

P.71396.GIJ

Description

A carved wooden headdress with a complete human figure seated on a wooden plinth on a circular concave base. The figure is elongated with his hands (incised with markings to denote fingers) stretched out in front. The humanistic face depicts large almond-shaped eyes defined with incised eyelashes, small nose and rounded mouth, and protruding ears. On the head is a large clover-shaped hat.

Object documentation photograph; photographed in front of a blanket backdrop.

Place

W Africa; Nigeria; Eastern Nigeria

Cultural Affliation

Ibiibio

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

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.71320.GIJ to P.71399.GIJ were kept in box 3, now numbered C303/.

Context:
Jones describes how head masks were attached to the masquerader, “A head [mask] was a representation of a human or animal head which was worn on top of the actor’s own head and attached to the costume which enveloped it, covering his face but leaving two small holes for him to see through. The base of the carved head or of its neck if it had one could be made concave so as to rest more securely on the actor’s, or it could be made tubular and be fitted into a circular basketry cap for the same purpose . Heaaddresses could be divided into threee types, namely, representations of hair and hair arrangements, of hats and other headgear, and of various other things which could be carried on a person’s head and which could be grouped together as emblems... In some instances complete human figures were worn in this manner and were carved standing, seated or recumbent and resting on a circular concave base or a tubular one that fitted into a circular basketry cap. (Jones, 1984, pp.125-126).

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 7/11/2007]