Mask with hinged jaw
20th century
Object PlaceNigeria
Medium/Techniquewood, fiber, black patina, metal
DimensionsOverall: 28.5 x 19 x 22 cm (11 1/4 x 7 1/2 x 8 11/16 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2616
On View
Not on viewClassificationsMasks
Collections
The Eket are a subgroup of the Ibibio that live in the Lower Niger River area. This mask with a hinged jaw, possible an Elu mask, can be found amongst a number of social groups that occupy the area near the delta. Danced by junior members of all-male secret societies, these masks are used during funerary celebrations or annual festivals.
Provenance1989, sold by Ile du Demon gallery, Paris, to Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)
Artist Unidentified
