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1914.26.20

Wooden mask with moveable jaw, perforated eyes and animal ?fur beard. [DCF Court Team 14/2/2003]

1914.26.20

Digital asset copyright: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford

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Collection type
Object
Description
Wooden mask with moveable jaw, perforated eyes and animal ?fur beard. [DCF Court Team 14/2/2003]
Long description
Wooden mask of a male human face with carved openings for the eyes. Scarification markings carved in relief on the forehead and cheeks. The lower jaw and upper part of the face are carved out of two separate pieces of wood. There are holes at each side of both sections through which plant fibre is used to join the two, while enabling the jaw to open and close. Carved pointed teeth in the upper and lower jaw. A length of animal skin with fur attached is nailed around the chin area to create a beard. [ZM 20/05/2013]
Geographical reference
Nigeria
Africa > Western Africa > Nigeria
Southern Nigeria Cross River
Cultural groups
Cross River Igbo
Person
Field collector Percy Amaury Talbot
PRM source Percy Amaury Talbot
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1914
Date collected
By 1914
Acquisition information
Donated: 1914
Materials and processes
Material Wood Plant, Material Animal Fur Skin, Material Plant Fibre, Material Hair, Material Pigment, Process Tied, Process Carved, Process Perforated, Process Nailed
Dimensions
Length: max 400 mm excluding beard, Depth: max 150 mm, Width: max 233 mm, Length: max 480 mm including beard
Object numbers
Accession number: 1914.26.20
Research and responses

There is an image of this mask on the G.I. Jones Photographic Archive Of Southeastern Nigerian Art and Culture with the following information: '"Cross River mask" collected by P.A. Talbot, probably Abiriba. In Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford' [no accession number is given, see http://mccoy.lib.siu.edu/jmccall/jones/igbo/abiriba3.JPG for image and http://mccoy.lib.siu.edu/jmccall/jones/abiriba.html for information] [ZM 02/05/2013]

In the G.I. Jones photographic archive at Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA), Cambridge, is a black and white negative (identification number N.13184.GIJ) of this mask, which is described on the MAA photographic database as follows: 'Carved wooden face mask with movable jaw and ?fur attached to chin. Features include holes for eyes, nose, lips, teeth, protruding forehead and cheeks. Raised ?'scarification' patterns on cheeks and forehead. Superstructure on top of head. Object documentation photograph.' Noted under inscriptions is that on the back of the print in pencil is written: 'IBO. Mask "Cross River" collected P.A. Talbot in Pitt Rivers Museum Oxford - Probably Abiriba tribe.' [ZM 28/10/2013]

John Picton examined this mask during a consultation visit to look at Igbo masks on 12 November 2013 and noted the following: This looks like this is from the Bende Igbo of the Cross River as the vertical markings on the forehead and at the sides of the face are characteristic of this area. [ZM 20/11/2013]

Search terms: Mask, Ritual and Ceremonial, Religion

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