Rare mask "otomporo"
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Lot: 227
91 Tribal Art AuctionRare mask "otomporo"
Nigeria, Yoruba, Ekiti area
| Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
|---|---|---|
| Daffos & Estournel, St. Germain-en-Laye, 23 March 1997, lot 138 Private Collection, Israel |
H: 18.1 inch |
3000 EUR
plus 23 % commission, VAT, transport and insurance |
wood, colour pigments, encrusted patina, rep., base
Such masks are supposedly worn by one of the seven chief hunters on the afternoon of the fourth day of the "ogun" festival.
The few known examples of this type of mask are identified widely different, as a representation of bush cow or buffalo, or as a hippopotamus.
Joubert, H., "Masque otomporo", Art du Nigeria, Collection du Musée des Arts d' Afrique et d' Océanie, p. 263, Paris, 1997
Ekpo Eyo, Two Thousand Years Nigerian Art, Lagos 1977, p. 184
