Face mask (elu)
20th century
Object PlaceNigeria
Medium/Techniquewood, paint, cord for hinges
DimensionsOverall: 23 x 14.5 x 9 cm (9 1/16 x 5 11/16 x 3 9/16 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2624
On View
Not on viewClassificationsMasks
Collections
The Idoma, along with the Edo (Okpella), and Igala, occupy the hilly grasslands north of the Niger River delta. Elu masks, such as this one, 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. Many elu masks, including this one, have hinged jaws.
ProvenanceGeneviève 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)
