IDNO

LS.82698.GIJ

Description

Mau (Ghost) masquerade.

Awo Ohia (Traveller or he who travels through the bush) wearing a striped, netted costume covering the body and head, the netting on the head is black, holding a stick. A rattle is attached to the waist, probably made of seed? or shell?, partially obscured by raffia. In the background are mud and thatched huts, trees and vegetation.

Place

W Africa; Nigeria; Southeastern Nigeria

Cultural Affliation

Igbo [historically Ibo]; Isuochi

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

Lantern Slide Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

LS.82686.GIJ to LS.82705.GIJ were found inside box formerly numbered 45, now re-numbered C412/. These slides may have been produced from the prints in the collection. The list describing the lantern slides found inside box C412/ has been archived with the rest of the Jones collection, which is stored in Bay N/ Shelf 3/ Box 1. On paper found inside box C412/ the description relating to slide 12 mentions:
"Ekpe figure in Mau play." [manuscript in ink]

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 Nsukka and Nri/Awka Igbo
2. Nri-Awka Igbo
3. Awo Ohia (Traveller – he who travels through the bush) Mmau masquerade, Amuda village, Isu Ochi (2nd image).

This image is reproduced in Jones.G.I 1989, as plate 29, on p.35 with the caption "Mau masquerade, Isuochi tribe, Northern Ibo. Character called Awo Ohia (Traveller) in ‘Egbo runner’ net costume of Cross River Ekpe (Egbo) masquerades."

Context: In some masquerades, not all the actors wore masks or headdresses. Jones discusses that, "in the netted costume the actor’s head was completely covered and concealed by net and he wore no mask or headpiece... in some areas, many of the characters performed vigorous dances which involved mainly stamping and other movements of the feet with rattles attached to the ankles and sometimes also to the waist, which were shaken in time to the drum orchestra." (Jones, 1984, p.43)

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]