IDNO

P.71541.GIJ

Description

Obugulu Mau (Ghost) masquerade.

Udu Ezuo (World Famous) and Iro Ekeptu (Merciless) performing in a masquerade. Udo Ezuo is standing in the foreground, wearing a white (painted in white clay or gypsum?) head-mask to the top of the head attached to a geometric patterned cloth top, striped leggings, raffia skirt, and ankle-rattles. The mask appears to be similar to a female helmet mask, though the face is above the head of the wearer.

Iro Ekpetu is standing behind Udo Ezuo and is wearing a black,fierce face mask, with eyes and teeth painted ?white, raffia hair, cloth tights and top, and a raffia skirt.

There are mud and thatch huts, trees, and vegetation in the background.

Place

W Africa; Nigeria; South Eastern Nigeria; Ontisha Province; near Awka; Amuda village

Cultural Affliation

Igbo [historically Ibo]

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.71504.GIJ to P.71662.GIJ were kept in box 4, now numbered C301/.
P.71531.GIJ to P.71546.GIJ were found wrapped in paper, now numbered C301/2/.

Context: During the Mau or ghost masquerades, there are different characters’ who perform in the masquerade. Jones writes about the division between ‘beautiful’ and ‘ugly’ characters. The former were thought of as beautiful, serene and usually female beings, the latter as dangerous, aggressive and masculine. The beautiful were usually white-faced with black hair an gaily decorated head-dresses. The fierce were black and red. The modes of the former were rounded and angular, those of the latter also included the stylised and occasionally abstract, and the carving often incorporated fangs, horns, beaks and other fearsome animal features (Jones, 1984, p. 139). More specifically in relation to Iro Ekpetu:, Jones describes a masquerade performance in Amobia in which there were many different characters and one of the masqueraders was a black fierce and masculine creature with masks that combined animal and human features (Jones, 1984, p.59).

Aniakor and Cole discuss the differences between beauty and beast; good and bad etc.

Bibliographical Reference: Jones, G.I., 1984. The Art of Eastern Nigeria (Cambridge University Press); Cole, H. & C. Aniakor, 1984. Igbo Arts: Community and Cosmos (Museum of Cultural History, University of California)

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Alicia Fentiman 18/10/2007]