The Eket people are a small tribe in southeastern Nigeria, neighbours of the Ibibio and Ogoni. During harvest festivals, members of the ‘Ekpo secret society’ danced with these round masks to give thanks for a good harvest, to thank their ancestors and ‘mother earth’. Along with praising the fertility of the earth, these dance rituals also remembered important, deceased warriors. The present mask is a typical example of the Eket style: it is circular, carved from hard, brown wood and dyed black on the front side. The rim, that ascends in a conical shape towards the middle of the mask, displays a ‘star-like’ spiked relief that reaches the inner circle. There sits a concave mask face in the exact Eket style: wide, tapering downwards to a small protruding mouth, with a prominent, bulging forehead and wide eyebrow arches – in-between which sits a triangular tribal symbol. The eyelids are large and lowered. The masked dancer looks through narrow, curved slits. This typical Eket mask shows only minimal damage (a delicate, small crack on the edge and some pieces broken off the face). Otherwise it is in good condition. It has an old, partly shiny and encrusted patina on the front side, as well as a shiny usage patina on the back. An old and typical Eket object, considered today to be rare. Diameter: c. 22 cm. Early 20th century. (ME)

Provenance:
French private collection.

Lit.:
'The Tribal Arts of Africa' by Jean-Baptiste Bacquart, ill. p. 94; 'Encyclopedia of African Art and Culture' by K.-F. Schädler, ill. p. 210.