Lot: 227

91 Tribal Art Auction

Rare 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 This object is not available anymore.

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