A painted wooden Ekwe mask of the Igbo from Nigeria. A tall superstructure of carved human figures rises above a base with a ring of openings and a plate decorated with ring motifs.

1. Form and Carving

The lower part is a rounded base, open at its edge, with a row of large, ring-shaped openings and carved spiral patterns above them. In front, a plate framed by zigzag borders carries a row of four ring motifs, and a comb-like fan of colourful leaf shapes rises behind it. Above this stands the actual tableau. A figure stands in the centre with both hands raised to its head. On either side sits a figure holding a staff or club, turned slightly outward. At the top, two small seated figures are joined back to back on a small platform. The whole stack is built compactly, with the figures overlapping and supporting one another.

2. Use and Context

According to the collection catalogue, the mask is worn at the annual festivals held in the dry season and at the funeral ceremonies of socially important people of the village. These occasions also gather the community, recall the ancestors and local deities and bring to mind the ideals of community and family. Sacrifices accompany them, and good food and drink embellish the celebrations, which are also meant to bring a kind of recovery after the harvest. The catalogue notes that Ekwe masks can also be disproportionately large and that their figures generally refer to present earthly life but may also evoke the spiritual world, for example through Mami Wata motifs.

3. Surface

The figures are covered with a chalky white paint that has flaked in many places, leaving darker wood underneath. Traces of blue, green, yellow and red remain on the plate, the fan of leaf shapes and the carved details. The base is a dark brown, and a strip of rattan lashing runs down its right side.

Summary

A tall Igbo Ekwe mask whose carved figures, painted plate and ringed base were made for dry-season festivals and funerals.