Anyang/Ekoi crest, Nigeria - Lot 66

Lot n° 66
Go to lot
Estimation :
1000 - 1500 EUR
Result without fees
Result : 750EUR
Anyang/Ekoi crest, Nigeria - Lot 66
Anyang/Ekoi crest, Nigeria Late 19th - early 20th century Wood, leather H. 26.5 cm Provenance : Carlo Monzino Collection, Italy "With their austere, even demonic realism, they are a bastion of naturalist art", said Elsy Leuzinger of Ekoi masks, while Boris de Rachewiltz was struck by their "harsh, cruel expressions that evoke the most brutal natural forces". If the creations of this people, who live in the Cross River forest region between Nigeria and Cameroon, are so singular, it's because the practice of covering a carved wooden mask with skin is unique and exists nowhere else in the world. This beautiful crest mask surprises by the "astonishing tranquillity" it exudes. The frighteningly naturalistic expression of the mouth, half-open over rows of filed teeth, is countered by a certain gentleness in the gaze, rendered by the treatment of the obliquely cut eyes and drooping eyebrows, almost giving the effigy an impression of sadness. The warm, caramel-colored patina of the taut skin is enhanced by the presence, on the neck, of beautiful ringed body marks painted like tattoos, as well as vertical rows of keloids sculpted in relief on the temples. These motifs, whose meaning remains obscure, are thought to be linked to an ancient secret script called nsibidi, from the Ngbe "leopard-man" sect. These masks, belonging to initiation societies, were traditionally worn during rituals by dancers accompanied by musical instruments and dances.
My orders
Sale information
Sales conditions
Return to catalogue