Unidentified Ibibo or Annang Artist
Date:
Early 20th Century
Medium:
Wood
Size:
Depth: 6 5/16″
Width: 8 11/16″
Height: 12 5/16″

The twisted nose and mouth on this mask create a grotesque sneer. Although the mask is smooth and the abstracted eyes and lips have a pleasing repetition, the artist deliberately distorted the human face to express the ugliness of an idiok ekpo, or evil soul. Criminals and those struck by serious misfortune in life are seen as the recipients of supernatural punishment, their souls banned from entering the afterlife and the cycle of reincarnation. Once a year, the Ekpo society, a men’s organization in charge of public order, holds a masquerade to appease these violent spirits.

Gift of Alan Wurtzburger BMA 1954.145.52