Mask (Elu)
White, Bruce M.
Small delicately carved face masks with pert noses and childlike facial features representing male and female spirits (elu) appear in village masquerades among Ogoni peoples living between the Niger Delta and Cross Rivers of southern Nigeria. Many of these face masks are cut across the mouth allowing the wearer to articulate the jaw as the spirit speaks through him. The open mouth reveals narrow teeth, usually made of cane.
Photograph by Bruce M. White, 2011
Primary Repository ID
MCCM_1994-004-658
System of Record ID
1994.004.658
Title
Mask (Elu)
Date Created
1900 – 1999
Description
Small delicately carved face masks with pert noses and childlike facial features representing male and female spirits (elu) appear in village masquerades among Ogoni peoples living between the Niger Delta and Cross Rivers of southern Nigeria. Many of these face masks are cut across the mouth allowing the wearer to articulate the jaw as the spirit speaks through him. The open mouth reveals narrow teeth, usually made of cane.
Photograph by Bruce M. White, 2011
Creator
White, Bruce M.
Subject - Topic/Names
Ogoni (African people)
Masks, Ogoni
Subject - Geographic
Nigeria
Africa
Subject - Time Period
Twentieth century
Extent/Dimensions
1809 x 13 x 12 cm
Content Type
Artifact
Content Genre
masks (costume)
Related Material
Source
African Art
Rights Statement
Copyright declaration applies to digital photographs and not the mask depicted in them.
Rights Holder
Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University
Copyright Date
2011
Institution
Emory University
Holding Repository
Michael C. Carlos Museum
Sort Date
1900
