|
HOME :
African & Tribal Art :
Ekoi, Ejangham, Cross Rivers : Ekoi Sculpture of a Man Covered with Animal Hide
|
 |
|
|
|
Ekoi Sculpture of a Man Covered with Animal Hide - PF.6121
Origin: Nigeria
Circa: 20
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
21.5" (54.6cm) high
Collection: African
Style: Ekoi
Medium: Wood, Animal Hide
$5,000.00
Location: United States
|
|
|
| Photo Gallery |
|
|
| Description |
The Ekoi people are best known for their large, skin-covered masks, which may have multiple faces. These masks are unique in Africa. Earlier in the tradition, the skins of slaves were used; however, later masks utilized the skins of antelopes and other animals. When the mask was finished being carved, fresh animal skin was stretched and tacked over the forms of the soft wood. After the skin dried, it was stained with pigments made from leaves and bark. Presumably, the process for creating this rare Ekoi figure was the same. It is presumed that all masks represented ancestors, as is surely the case with this full figure sculpture. Clearly, this sculpture depicts an individual blessed with a high-ranking status within the social hierarchy of the Ekoi tribe. His arms and legs are adorned with various bracelets and anklets that reflect his wealth. He wears a beaded necklace replete with a central pendant shaped like and inverted “T.” The significance of this pendant is mysterious, although it might function as an identifying symbol that would reveal the identity of this figure to the villagers. Furthermore, his private areas are covered, reflecting his noble status. The skin covering served as a magical agent to invoke ancestral spirits, thus eroding the barrier between living and dead participants in communal rituals. These borders are further blurred by the addition of actual human hair and red beads to the top of the figure’s head. Perhaps this hair was taken from the individual this sculpture represents. Clearly, this stunning sculpture contains the power to invoke the spirit of deceased ancestors.
- (PF.6121)
|
| |
|
