An Egbege masquerader, wearing a costume and skin-covered cap mask, which represents a female head with a tall coiffure. Keith Nicklin, the photographer, described Egbege as an important Boki association whose membership was restricted to women. Cap masks are known to be worn by women, as well as men, although females usually have the face uncovered. The person in this photograph with the face covered is presumably female, as although Egbege is a female association the masqueraders are not always part of the association and can include males.

Collection type: Photograph
Description: An Egbege masquerader, wearing a costume and skin-covered cap mask, which represents a female head with a tall coiffure. Keith Nicklin, the photographer, described Egbege as an important Boki association whose membership was restricted to women. Cap masks are known to be worn by women, as well as men, although females usually have the face uncovered. The person in this photograph with the face covered is presumably female, as although Egbege is a female association the masqueraders are not always part of the association and can include males.
Geographical reference: Nigeria
Africa > Western Africa > Nigeria; Cross River
Cultural groups: Ejagham
Person: Photographer Keith Nicklin; PRM source Keith Nicklin
Date / Period: Date of print: 1970s Date of photograph: Between 1970 and Spring 1974, probably 1972, uncertain
Acquisition information: Found unentered: 2009
Photographic process: Transparency Agfa-Gevaert; Transparency Gevaert Dia Direct
Dimensions: Image dimension 35 mm
Object numbers: Accession number: 1998.480.11
Research and responses: The slides mounts are labeled Agfa-Gevaert, a merger which took place in 1964. This provides a terminus post quem for the developing and mounting of the photographs. The original box of slides was labeled 'B. Fagg'. Catherine Fagg and Angela Rackham have both ruled out the idea that they were taken by Bernard Fagg. This suggests that the box was labeled for the attention of Bernard Fagg by the photographer. Since Bernard Fagg left the PRM in 1975 this provides a terminus ante quem for the slides. [CM 30/03/2009]
Research notes - Keith Nicklin, the photographer, included some of the images from this group of 79 slides in his article entitled 'Nigerian Skin-Covered Masks' published in the journal African Arts Volume 7, Number 3 (Spring 1974). This particular image is included (see publications field for details), along with a description of the Egbege association. On 18 September 2013 I showed these images to Jill Salmons, Keith Nicklin's widow, who thinks they were probably taken in 1972 but definitely between 1970 and before Spring 1974. Jill agreed this image is of a female masquerader because of Keith's description of the association as all female in the published article. [ZM 20/09/2013]
Associated publications: Research publication - 1998.480.11 was published in colour as fig. 11 on page 12 of Keith Nicklin's article 'Nigerian Skin-Covered Masks' pages 8-15, 67-68 and 92 in the journal African Arts, Volume 7, Number 3 (Spring 1974). The caption printed on page 13 reads: "11. BOKI EGBEGE MASQUERADER." The person wearing the masquerade costume is presumably a woman because on page 15 Nicklin describes Egbege as follows: "Egbege, another of the important Boki associations, is restricted to women. Egbege played a central role in the affairs of women, and took control of the fatting-house girls." [ZM 11/09/2013]

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