- Collection type
- Object
- Description
- Dance costume
- Long description
- Dance costume comprising a mask and tunic [.1] and headdress [.2] which are secured together.
- Geographical reference
- Date / Period
- Date made: Before 1920
- Date collected
- 1909 - 1920
- Acquisition information
- Donated: 1966
- Materials and processes
- Material Wood Plant, Material Pigment, Material Wool Textile Animal, Material Felt Wool Textile Animal, Material String Plant, Material Cotton Seed Fibre Textile Plant, Process Painted, Process Carved, Process Felted, Process Woven, Process Stitched, Process Dyed
- Dimensions
- Length: max 1345 mm, Width 560 mm approx
- Object numbers
- Accession number: 1966.16.79
- Research and responses
See Cole, Herbert M. "Igbo." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T039869 for a description of the cloth covered framework structures sometimes attached to masks by the northern Igbo during the late 19th and early 20th century. [ZM 26/04/2013]
John Picton examined this mask and costume during a consultation visit to look at Igbo masks on 12 November 2013 and noted the following: The original identification of this as Idoma is possible (see accession book description), as female white-faced masks like this are found amongst the Idoma and the Igbo, however Sidney Kasfir is an expert on the Idoma so the identification of this as Igbo rather than Idoma is probably correct. If Igbo this is likely to be northern or north-eastern Igbo. The felt and wool is imported, the blue cotton on the sleeve factory woven and resist dyed and white panel to create an opening to see out is locally spun cotton, which has an interactive warp-weft structure (an interesting technique widely used but in West Africa quite rare). The panel on top of the head represents an elaborate hairstyle and the square woollen sections could provide a means of tying in magical medicine. The figures on the top of the panel look like birds, which can be either pretty and decorative or an association with witches. 1966.16.80.1 could be a bird because of the two legs and a tail and 1966.16.80 .2 a leopard because of the spots. [ZM 20/11/2013]
Further items to explore
1910.1.162.1Wooden and painted helmet mask with a row of feathers attached around the top. This mask is part of a masquerade costume. For the grass fringe for this mask see 1910.1.162 .2 . [CW [OPS move] 20/9/2016]1910.1.162.1
1913.39.1Carved wooden mask with long pendant fringe of fibre. The face of the mask is coated with red and black pigments. [CW [OPS move] 20/9/2016]1913.39.1
1942.13.430Mask cast with human facial features. [ZM 30/04/2013]1942.13.430
1934.9.2.5Fringe for the head, part of a bark cloth mask costume. The fringe is woven around a twisted length of plant fibre. [CW [OPS move] 14/10/2016]1934.9.2.5
1972.24.178Shilling coin. Silver coloured metal, the obverse reads "Georgius V D.G. Britt. Omn. Rex. F.D. Ind. Imp" encircling King's head and shoulders. Reverse reads "British West Africa, one shilling", which encircles a palm tree, dated 1926. [ASh [OPS move] 16/1/2017]1972.24.178
1942.13.899Cut palm leaf. Perforated to create decorative designs, the designs are in the form of two parallel rows of chevrons and rectangles with concave sides. [AB [OPS Move] 24/1/2017]1942.13.899
1904.54.53.3Basket plaque, circular coiled with spiral design in brown and black coils. [RM [OPS move] 8/12/2016]1904.54.53.3
1942.13.143Pottery vessel of dark red,globular in shape with narrow neck and expanding rim, and decorated with incised rings round.1942.13.143