IGBO, AFIKPO (Edda) subgroup, southeastern Nigeria, Cross Ri - Lot 200

IGBO, AFIKPO (Edda) subgroup, southeastern Nigeria, Cross River region, 20th century. Afikpo cubist mask Dance mask featuring an angular face. The eyes are wide open, adorned with two linear scarifications on the cheeks. The chin is elongated, the forehead sculpted in projection and the superciliary arches in relief. Polychrome wood, natural pigment, vegetable fiber, marks of use. Dimensions: 57 cm (standing height) Afikpo masks are used during the dry season in male societies, for ritual and festive outings linked to the affirmation of virility and social control. Their deliberately geometric aesthetic emphasizes the graphic strength of their volumes and their legibility from a distance, in the service of the danced performance.