In the Cross River delta, rich with palm oil and petroleum, centuries of brisk trade have helped new ideas spread quickly. The helmet portion of this mask has a black face, representing a strong man, and a red face, representing a more delicate woman, a pairing introduced by Ejagham artists. Abstract curving forms, first found on Igbo Maiden masks, divide the four figures on top. The two white men above portray British colonial officers, who controlled this area from 1885 until the formation of the independent nation of Nigeria in 1960. The woman has a well-defined hairstyle that identifies her as a local, while the man on the side of the mask wears a uniform and cap—linking him to the Nigeria Police Force, formed by the British to enforce laws in the colony. This mask may have criticized changes in society under foreign rule, particularly the local implementation of colonial policies.