OMOKU AHOADA, FOR THE OKOROSHI MASQUERADE

细节

A SUPERB IBO MASK
Omoku Ahoada, for the okoroshi masquerade
With carved teeth in the pierced open mouth, naturalistic lips, pierced lenticular eyes, the elaborate blackened coiffure with horned projections and grooved lobes, a black band painted down the centre of the nose and forehead, traces of white and blue pigments
29.5cm. high

出版

Bleakley, R., African Masks, London, 1978, no. 21
Phillips, T. (Ed.), Africa The Art of a Continent, London, 1995, fig. 5.122a, p.455

展览

London, Royal Academy of Arts, 1995

注意事项

Christie's charge a buyer's premium of 20% (VAT inclusive) for this lot.

拍品专文

Cole, H.C., and Aniakor, C.C. in Igbo Arts Community and Cosmos (UCLA 1984, pp.186-204) describe at length the okoroshi masquerade, especially that performed by the Agwa village group. They recount how the masquerades take place during the peak of the rainy season in the southwestern region of Ibo-land and that all the masks are danced by men who often harass the women. The mask types are divided in two types - the okoroshi Ojo "dark" masks, and okoroshi Oma, the "light" masks portraying friendly, benign, beautiful spirits. Okoroshi translates as "water spirit" and oma as "good, pretty". A mask similar to the present example is illustrated on p.204, fig.317.