IDNO

P.71616.GIJ

Description

Masquerade character called ‘Government’ and attendant. The masquerader is a facelss character with a piece of cloth covering his face, dressed in patterned cloth, wearing a Homburg hat with a feather tucked into the side. ‘Government’ is holding a piece of paper in his hand, symbolising authority. His ‘attendant’ is kneeling down and placing an ivory tusk and walking stick in front of him. The attendant is coverd in cloth and wearing a Homburg hat. He is carrying a large metal gong in his hand. In the background are spectators and thatched houses.

Place

W Africa; Nigeria; South Eastern Nigeria; Onitsha province; Nri Awka; Amobia village

Cultural Affliation

Igbo [historically Ibo]; Nri Awka

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.71616.GIJ to P.71630.GIJ were found wrapped in 2 pieces of paper, now numbered C301/10/ and C301/11/.

Publication: Same image published in Jones, 1984, p. 58, Figure 7 called ‘Government” .

Context: Jones writes about the Government character, “ Thus the faceless character called ‘Government’ in an Awka masquerade had a hat and an elephant tusk horn as emblems of authority and carried a sheet of paper in its hand as a symbol of bureaucratic power, and in the same masquerade the proverb ‘The tongue is more powerful than brute force’ was represented by three faceless characters in identical costumes that sang together in thirds and were called Onukamma (‘Mouth Stronger than sword’) (Jones, 1984, p.45)

Context: Jones provides a detailed description of the various characters in this masquerade which he had observed and photographed in the field, “A performance in the Northern Ibo village of Amobia was opened by a hooded character called “Government”. He had no face and was crowned with a Homburg hat; an elephant tusk horn, symbol of authority, was laid on the ground in front of him and he read in ghostly gibberish from an important-looking document. He and his acolyte withdrew and were succeeded by a parade of ghostly policemen and court messengers wearing imitations of police and messenger uniforms and with cloth masks over their faces and head. They performed a spirited guard drill before being posted by their commander to their stations to control the crowd. Their followed a supercilious white-faced sun-helmeted figure in white drill jacket and trousers called Oyibo (White Man), who inspected the audience and then took his seat amongst the places reserved for the distinguished visitors who had come to watch the play. After him came a succession of characters, some white-faced, representing female spirits, some black or multi-coloured fierce and masculine creatures with masks that combined animal and human features; others again, mainly harmless or comic or benign, representing antelopes, or other animal spirits or characters drawn from village life. Each had his or her special role to play and having acted it withdrew to the secret enclosure or sat on seats at the ringside waiting to repeat his performance. “ Jones also writes that this masquerade was “ a large concerted display which included characters contributed by all the local societies.” (Jones, 1984, pp.59-60.)

Bibliographical Reference: Jones, G.I., 1984. The Art of Eastern Nigeria (Cambridge University Press); Jones, G.I. 1989. Ibo Art (Shire).

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Alicia Fentiman 20/11/2007]