Eket, Nigeria: a rare, old Eket face mask.
The Eket people are a small ethnic group in southeastern Nigeria, neighbours of the Ibibio and Ogoni. The sculptural art of the Eket includes dance crests, marionettes and 3 different mask types: plank masks, smaller, round, flat masks (see cat. no. 71.) and actual face masks – the present face mask is one of them. This deeply hollowed, almost round face mask is carved from light-coloured, lightweight wood and dyed black, with accentuated eyebrows, a vertical forehead scar in relief, large, crescent shaped eyes, a small, wide nose, a pointed, protruding, small closed mouth, as well as notched decorative lines on both cheeks and the chin. Masks such as these were used by members of the ‘Ekpo’ and ‘Ekong’ societies of the Eket for dances during harvest festivals. Overall it is a rare, visibly old piece with some colour abrasion on exposed areas and a shiny patina due to protracted use (on the inside). Height: 23 cm. First half of the 20th century. (ME)
Provenance:
Austrian private collection.
Lit.:
'African Art in American Collections' by Robbins & Nooter, fig. 722.
Specialist: Erwin Melchardt
Erwin Melchardt
+43-1-515 60-465
erwin.melchardt@dorotheum.at
09.06.2016 - 17:00
- Starting bid:
-
EUR 1,000.-
Eket, Nigeria: a rare, old Eket face mask.
The Eket people are a small ethnic group in southeastern Nigeria, neighbours of the Ibibio and Ogoni. The sculptural art of the Eket includes dance crests, marionettes and 3 different mask types: plank masks, smaller, round, flat masks (see cat. no. 71.) and actual face masks – the present face mask is one of them. This deeply hollowed, almost round face mask is carved from light-coloured, lightweight wood and dyed black, with accentuated eyebrows, a vertical forehead scar in relief, large, crescent shaped eyes, a small, wide nose, a pointed, protruding, small closed mouth, as well as notched decorative lines on both cheeks and the chin. Masks such as these were used by members of the ‘Ekpo’ and ‘Ekong’ societies of the Eket for dances during harvest festivals. Overall it is a rare, visibly old piece with some colour abrasion on exposed areas and a shiny patina due to protracted use (on the inside). Height: 23 cm. First half of the 20th century. (ME)
Provenance:
Austrian private collection.
Lit.:
'African Art in American Collections' by Robbins & Nooter, fig. 722.
Specialist: Erwin Melchardt
Erwin Melchardt
+43-1-515 60-465
erwin.melchardt@dorotheum.at
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| Auction: | Tribal Art - Africa |
| Auction type: | Saleroom auction |
| Date: | 09.06.2016 - 17:00 |
| Location: | Vienna | Palais Dorotheum |
| Exhibition: | 04.06. - 09.06.2016 |