IDNO

P.71976.GIJ

Description

Skin covered head mask of a crocodile with a crown on its head. The crocodile has an elongated snout with an open jaw and teeth, two curled ‘horns’ are projecting outwards on both sides and on top of the head is an European style crown. At the base is a basketry ring. The mask is photographed on a wooden chair. In the background is a mud and thatched building.

Place

W Africa; Nigeria; Southeast Nigeria; Cross River

Cultural Affliation

Igbo (Ibo); Cross River

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.71972.GIJ to P.72000.GIJ and P.72249.GIJ to P.72371.GIJ were kept in box 8, now numbered C297/.

Publication: Same image published on John McCall’s G.I. Jones website with the following information: [Source: www.siu.edu/~anthro/mccall/jones/, AF ]
1. Index to Ekpe Masquerades
2. Skin covered head Photo’d in Item. Said to have been bought in the Middle Cross River area (9th image).

Context: Jones writes about the Cross River style with particular reference to this photograph. He notes that we can distinguish a Cross River style which consisted of a very limited number of forms, mainly heads with human features which sought to be as realistic as possible, the skin being added to the carving, according to some informants, in order to achieve a greater realism. Talbot maintained that the skin was human but Campbell’s researches did not confirm this. The classic forms considered the finest by Europeans and Nigerians alike were a female head with a long neck and hair bound up into elaborate ‘horns’ (as in this photograph) and a large Janus-type shoulder mask. The female mask was said to be beautiful and the shoulder mask was usually represented as fierce and masculine; the tallness and slenderness of the one and the breadth and solidity of the other were exaggerated in the sculpture. These types were diffused as far east as the Bangwa and as far west as the Anang. There were, however, plenty of other heads representing male or female characters with or without necks and ranging from the naturalistic to the very crude, depending on the capabilities of the carver and the idiosyncrasies of local taste. (Jones, 1984, p.191-192).

Context: In particular reference to the mask in this photograph, Jones notes that “Another form less widely distributed represented a spirit known as Akpambe and later as Obassi-Njom and by various other names. He was represented by a combination of human and animal features and typically with two broad open jaws, combined with a stylised human nose, eyes, and forehead. A more modern version, which I photographed in Item (Umuahia area) but which had been obtained from somewhere on the Middle Cross River, was a naturalistic representation of a crocodile head wearing a European style crown.” (Jones, 1984, p.192)

Context: Nicklin also discusses skin-covered masks in depth. He applies Murray’s definition of the Cross River area, “the characteristic work is a head covered with skin carried on top of the dancer’s head” - that is, the cap mask type. The variety most often portrays a woman’s head complete with coiffure, and some janus-faced. At its base is a series of holes for the basketry ring which fits snugly on top of head, supporting the carving...he goes on to describe the markings on the mask such as the detailed portrayal of tribal marks, the most common is a raised circular mark on the temples and forehead (Nicklin, 1974, p.11).

Bibliographical Reference: Jones, G.I., 1984. The Art of Eastern Nigeria (Cambridge University Press)
Nicklin, K. 1974. “Nigerian Skin-Covered Masks”, African Arts, Vol.7, no.3., pp.8-15+67+92.

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Alicia Fentiman 17/12/2007]