Tribal used african mask from the Idoma, Nigeria.
Hand carved from a single piece of wood, with color pigments.
Size: 39 cm.
Living at the confluence of the Benue and Niger rivers, the 550,000 Idoma people are predominantly farmers and traders. They grow yams, millet and sorghum, and place these cultivations at the heart of their festivals. As farmers, they have a long market tradition in a region of neighboring ethnic groups who have intermarried with one another. The Idoma believe in a creator god, but different cults are entrusted to the various societies. The alekwu society is responsible for the cult of the periodic resurrection of the ancestor who plays a vital social function. The secret society of the aiuta is in charge of maintaining order; its members, village chiefs and dance groups, remain under the control of elders. The oglinye society groups together the royal lineage, which have the right to own the masks.
