Ogoni
Mask
Ogoni, 1900-1932
Scroll
Ogoni
Mask
Ogoni, 1900-1932
Physical Qualities
Wood, pigment, 8 9/16 × 6 1/8 × 2 15/16 in. (21.8 × 15.5 × 7.5 cm.)
Credit Line
Anonymous Gift
Object Number
1995.150
The wide, bulging eyes of these masks refer to supernatural authority and the ability of those associated with the spiritworld to see things that humans cannot. In the context of the fast-moving masquerades in which each mask was danced, these disproportionate facial features helped communicate the metaphors embedded in each work.
Meditations on African Art: Color
Subverting Beauty: African Anti-Aesthetics
Inscribed: On base: orange sticker, '550'
