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THBExhibited Nigerian Ogoni Wood Articulated Mask
Lot 54c
About Seller
Artemis Fine Arts
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$1,000 - $1,800
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Fine Arts
Aug 22, 2025
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2025-08-22 10:00:00
2025-08-22 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Indigenous Art - Ralph T. Coe Center, Santa Fe, NM
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/indigenous-art---ralph-t-coe-center-santa-fe-nm-20324
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
View Full Catalog (452)
- Lot Description
West Africa, Nigeria, Ogoni People, ca. early 20th century CE. A captivating wood mask from the Ogoni people of the Niger Delta, this example embodies the refined artistry and theatrical ingenuity of the region's masquerading traditions. Carved with a smooth oval face painted in a pale ochre tone, the mask features narrow, contemplative eyes, delicate arching brows, and an elaborate coiffure formed of coiled side plaits painted black. The lower half is adorned with bold black dotted patterns and an articulated jaw, its teeth rendered from split bamboo and designed to open and close, giving the mask a lifelike, almost conversational presence when performed. Such masks share stylistic affinities with those of the neighboring Ibibio, reflecting a regional exchange of visual vocabulary. Among the Ogoni, masks of this type were typically worn by age-grade junior members of masking associations during festive public occasions, including Christmas celebrations, funerals, and social entertainments. Size: 5.7" L x 7.1" W x 7.8" H (14.5 cm x 18 cm x 19.8 cm)
In some contexts, articulated masks were employed in initiation rites for young women entering adulthood, where the opening and closing mouth could convey humor, commentary, or moral instruction to the audience. Fitted originally onto a conical cap of raffia and cloth that concealed the masquerader's shoulders, the mask would have been animated by subtle movements of the wearer's jaw and lip, transforming this finely carved face into a speaking and dancing persona. Its elegance, combined with the uncanny realism of its moving mouth, speaks to the Ogoni's enduring ability to merge artistry with performance in the preservation of their precolonial cultural heritage.
Exhibited: 2002, October 3 to December 15, "Selections from the Ralph T. Coe Collection of African Art" at the Allen Memorial Museum, Oberlin College. Oberlin, Ohio.
Published: "Selections from the Ralph T. Coe Collection of African Art" ill. #7.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, acquired in 2010 via descent; ex-private collection of Ralph T. Coe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, purchased ca. 1968 to 1969 from an African runner
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
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#196065Missing some wood peg teeth. A few chips in areas, as well as nicks and abrasions, commensurate with age. Small areas of old, inactive insect damage. Black pigment on forehead. Nice remaining pigment and detail with light patina to wood.Condition
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