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Mask (Ijele)

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Ijele, a genus of masks from the Igbo areas of Nigeria, are the largest masks in Africa. They can be up to 5 metres high. They appear at important festivals and are a highlight of the festivities. The pictorial programme of Ijele masks represents the diversity of beauty and life. The first Ijele masks were designed in the Igbo communities of Umueri and Aguleri in Anhambra State, Nigeria. The dancers of the masks were probably intended to intimidate missionaries. This Ijele mask was commissioned by the Igbo community Ikuku Cultural Group in Berlin in 2008. It was designed by Anayo Nwobodo.

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Data Provider
Ethnologisches Museum Show original at data provider

Cataloguing data

Cultural attribution
Igbo
Object type
Mask (Ijele)
Dimensions
Height: 370 cm
Diameter: 140 cm
Material/Technique
Wood, Plastic, Cotton fabric, Styrofoam
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
III C 45569 a

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    when
    2007
    where
    Nigeria
    who
    Anayo Nwobodo - Makers
    Igbo
  • Collecting
    who
    John A. Durumba - Former Possessors
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    Africa

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED

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