Mask: Ibibio Style

Date1959-1960

Maker Chukwu Okoro, Mgbom village, Afikpo Nigerian, 1910 - 1987

Label TextThere once was a parade in Nigeria where men of different ages dressed to take on new identities for a few days and turn normal life upside down. This dedication to masquerade parades and plays was studied by Simon Ottenberg, whose books recount their effectiveness and whose masks form the basis for this display. Beauty is exemplified by a maiden who walks with long strides while carrying a headdress with mirrors and feathers on her head. She is followed by a line of couples, leaders—some modern and others traditional—with two schoolchildren at the end. Beasts are characterized by their dark, rough, and often disheveled appearances. A masker known as Aro, or the slave trader, ends this sequence with a gun carried in the pouch on his back.

Object number2005.34

Photo CreditPhoto by Beth Mann

Credit LineGift of Simon Ottenberg, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum

Dimensions10 x 7 x 6 1/2in. (25.4 x 17.8 x 16.5cm)

MediumWood with raffia backing