Princess Head
Ekoi-Ejagan · Nigeria
Reference: MCYC-38
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- Height
- 30 cm
- Material
- Leather
The Ekoï or Ejagham live on the southeastern border with Cameroon. They seem to be the creators of fur-lined masks, which in a prime were covered…
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Full original description
The Ekoï or Ejagham live on the southeastern border with Cameroon. They seem to be the creators of fur-lined masks, which in a prime were covered with human skin. They actually use acabra or antelope skins. Several ethnic groups have adopted such heads. Most of them represent female heads with slingshot lakes rolled into spirals in the form of a snail.
This head represents a princess ejagham. They are used in worship Ekkpebelonging to the society of hunters and warriors. In the past, the heads cut off their enemies in their dances. These masks or heads were used during the celebration of human sacrifices. Currently they only use in funeral recemonies and initiation rites.
Parallel to the Sociness Ekkpe, there was a female society Eggbebe who was responsible for the education of girls before marriage. Their dances symbolized the social order by means of harmonious chorographs, totally opposed to male dances, violent and with masks of fierce appearance.
Further technical information
- Width
- 12 cm
- Attributed period
- First third of the century XX
Details transcribed from the original catalogue; they are not a recent physical inspection.
Country on the map
Nigeria. The country associated with the catalog is shown, not the current location of the piece.
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Attributions, dates and accounts come from the preserved catalogue. They do not constitute certification of authenticity or provenance. An object’s presence on this website does not mean it is available for sale.
