Mask Of The Eket People, Nigeria

Face mask presenting a face of great delicacy. The thin mouth is projected forward. The nose, composed of a raised triangle, is framed by two eyes pierced in a crescent shape. The whole is surmounted by a rounded forehead marked by raised eyebrows. In the center of these, a vertical and oval relief motif responds to the verticality of the nose.
This mask, very harmonious and of great finesse, intervened in the context of the Ekpo society (based on the cult of ancestors) during the yam festival and funeral ceremonies.
Wood with a thick and shiny patina.
Height: 19.5 cm
Eket people, Nigeria
First half of the 20th century.
Provenance: ex Norbert Boutet collection
Sold with its base