Ekele Masquerade Headcrest
White, Bruce M.
This is a type of headcrest mask found amongst the southern Ika, a western Igbo peoples residing on the left bank of the Niger River (Kwale region) and Isoko peoples residing further to the south. G.I. Jones photographed such masks in the 1930s. In performance they are embellished with feathers inserted into holes along the back of the figure and across the feline figure at the top of the mask. Jones documented their performance in the Ogonya Play in Ogume village, southern Ika. Cole and Aniakor identify these as Ekeleke masks; however, Peek questions this attribution as for the Isoko, Ekeleke refers to masks performed with stilts, which are not worn in the performance photographed by Jones.
Photograph by Bruce M. White, 2011.
Primary Repository ID
MCCM_1994-004-668
System of Record ID
1994.004.668
Title
Ekele Masquerade Headcrest
Date Created
1900 – 1999
Description
This is a type of headcrest mask found amongst the southern Ika, a western Igbo peoples residing on the left bank of the Niger River (Kwale region) and Isoko peoples residing further to the south. G.I. Jones photographed such masks in the 1930s. In performance they are embellished with feathers inserted into holes along the back of the figure and across the feline figure at the top of the mask. Jones documented their performance in the Ogonya Play in Ogume village, southern Ika. Cole and Aniakor identify these as Ekeleke masks; however, Peek questions this attribution as for the Isoko, Ekeleke refers to masks performed with stilts, which are not worn in the performance photographed by Jones.
Photograph by Bruce M. White, 2011.
Creator
White, Bruce M.
Subject - Topic/Names
Isoko (African people)
Ika (African people)
Subject - Geographic
Nigeria
Africa
Subject - Time Period
Twentieth century
Extent/Dimensions
76 x 12 x 17 cm
Content Type
Artifact
Content Genre
headdresses
Source
African Art
Rights Statement
Copyright declaration applies to the digital photographs and not the headcrest depicted in them.
Rights Holder
Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University
Copyright Date
2011
Institution
Emory University
Holding Repository
Michael C. Carlos Museum
Sort Date
1900
