IDNO

P.71543.GIJ

Description

Obugulu Mau (Ghost) masquerade.

Iro Ekpetu (Merciless) wearing a fierce carved and painted wooden face mask (darkened, with eye areas and teeth painted ?white, incised decoration along lower forehead, and raffia hair attached to the back of the mask), and a cloth top which is attached to the mask. He is holding up a stick switch.

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)

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 18/10/2007]