IDNO

T.170096.GIJ

Description

A beautiful female mask. The wooden face mask is carved delicately and consists of two slit eyes, long nose, mouth, etched markings on either side of the temples and squarish ears. The centre of the forehead is incised with a diamond shaped marking with striations, and emanating from the forehead is a long hairstyle or coiffure with incised horizontal striations, the top of the mask is plain and rounded. The holes for attaching the mask are visible in the photograph.[Description from record N.71762.GIJ, PB 22/09/2023]

Place

W Africa; Nigeria; South Eastern Nigeria; Cross River; Northern Bende division

Cultural Affliation

Item

Named Person

Photographer

Jones, Gwilliam Iwan (known as G.I.)

Collector / Expedition

Date

circa 1930 - 1939; 1984

Collection Name

Jones Collection

Source

Format

Colour Transparency

Primary Documentation

Other Information

T.169937.GIJ - T.170148.GIJ were located together in a Agfa transparency box, now numbered C756/.

Publication: Image published in Jones, G.I. 1984. The Art of Eastern Nigeria. (Cambridge: CUP), fig. 110, p. 201, and captioned as "Beautiful' mask: covering top half of wearer's face. Lughulu masquerade. Item tribe (N.M.). Isu/Item Ibo." [PB 22/09/2023]