Skip to content
Pitt Rivers Museum
AboutHire the MuseumNewsletterUniversity of Oxford

1938.15.2

Carved and painted wooden mask. [MdeA 23 4 1998]

On display

1938.15.2

Digital asset copyright: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford

Terms and Conditions

If you wish to order a high-resolution image and/or licence its use for print or web publication, exhibition, film, promotional product or any other use, whether in the academic or commercial sector of any print run, then please visit photographic services.

Collection type
Object
Description
Carved and painted wooden mask. [MdeA 23 4 1998]
Long description
Carved and painted wooden mask. The eyes are perforated. The mouth is open showing incised marks for teeth but not perforated. There are no nostrils marked on the mask but the area just below the nose is painted blue. The lower lip is also painted blue. A piece of animal skin with tufts of hair still attached has been nailed to the chin. There are two incised black lines going in a diagonal direction from just below the inner corner of the eyes to the jaw (possible scarification marks?). There is a horse-shoe-shaped carving on the forehead with the two ends of the carving pointing down towards the chin. This carving is painted black and could represent two thick locks of hair. The right side of this carving has been broken and shows signs of local repair. [MdeA 23 4 1998]
Geographical reference
Nigeria
Africa > Western Africa > Nigeria
Southern Nigeria Niger Delta Rivers State Ahoada
Person
Field collector Gwilym Iwan Jones
PRM source Gwilym Iwan Jones
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1937
Date collected
1937
Acquisition information
Donated: 1938
Materials and processes
Material Wood Plant, Material Pigment, Material Iron Metal, Material Animal Hair, Material Animal Skin, Process Carved, Process Painted, Process Nailed, Process Incised, Process Repaired (local)
Dimensions
Width: max 151 mm, Length: max 260 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1938.15.2
Research and responses

John Picton examined this mask during a consultation visit to look at Igbo masks on 12 November 2013 and noted the following: When boys use masks for plays they wear them infront of the face or on top of the head, as the identity of the performer does not need to be hidden as small boys' plays require no ritual commitment and are performed for entertainment. This looks like it represents a ram with the horns curling round and down, when masks that represent a ram are worn the performer often mimics the behaviour of the ram, running and butting people. [ZM 19/11/2013]

Search terms: Mask, Children and Childcare

Further items to explore