Igala Mask, Nigeria

Agbanabo

Manfred Schäfer, Ulm, acquired in the 1960s
Karl-Ferdinand Schaedler, Munich, acquired from the above

Neumeister, Munich, Afrikanische Masken [aus Münchener Privatsammlungen] & Werke aus dem Nachlass der Galerie Heinz Herzer, June 18 - July 29, 2007

Neumeister (ed.), Afrikanische Masken [aus Münchener Privatsammlungen] & Werke aus dem Nachlass der Galerie Heinz Herzer, Munich, 2007, p. 53
Karl-Ferdinand Schaedler, Encyclopedia of African Art and Culture, Munich, 2009, p. 291

According to Boston (in Berns, Fardon, and Kasfi 2011: 170): "The Igala-speaking peoples live to the southeast of the confluence of the Niger and Benue riverse, and they share a common boundary with the Igbo to the south and the Idoma to the east. Their strategic position has brought them into contact with many other peoples, and they have specific traditions of conflict in the past with Benin and with the Jukun kingdom.  Linguistically and culturally, however, they have more in common with the Yoruba, though this underlying similarity does not extend to sharing the Yoruba preference for urban living."

Masquerades are central to Igala ritual, and the masks and costumes employed are the most important Igala art forms.  The present mask is for the Igala Agbanabo royal masquerade.  Boston (op. cit.: 171) continues: "The second royal masquerade in order of seniority is Agbanabo, whose headdress incorporates a long snout. It is said of this figure that he once came out for a royal festival carrying two spears (okwo).  He stood on the small earth mound outside his house and then noticed one of the Ata's [King] wives, a woman called Ebi, who was standing nearby and looking at him.  Agbanabo ran toward her, but she still stood there, unafraid.  Agbanabo went back to his earth mound and stood there, thinking.  The woman stood unmoved and chewed some tobacco.  Agbanabo's followers chanted his praise names, until the masquerade suddenly rushed at the woman and stabbed her through the body with his spears so that she fell dead. When the Ata heard about this, he at first ruled that Agbanabo should never appear again, but his people pleaded for the masquerade.  Finally, it was decided that the masquerade could continue, but with Agbanabo carrying two sticks in place of the two spears."

An Igala Agbanabo mask closely related to the present example was photographed being danced in situ in 1949 by Kenneth Murray (op. cit.: 171, reproduced from Murray 1949: 88).