Sculpture is central to the culture and traditions of the Ogoni, a people native to Rivers State, Nigeria. While the themes and styles of sculpture differ between regions, most fall into one of seven categories:
Small masks with jaws and...
Guro culture is famed for its ornate masquerades, both religious and secular. In religious ceremonies, masks are worn representing idealised ancestors.
There are three sacred masks usually on display, centring around the Zamble, a mythical elder...
Dogon masks come in many forms, from those made of fibre or wood, and in the shape of animals, humans, and abstract creations.
Before painting, the wooden masks are known as ajugo nüyü meaning "mask dead." Once painted, they become lajugo...
The word mbubu refers only to this ceremonial gourd mask. It is worn during a secret initiation ceremony known as bkpe in the southern Afikpo villages, Kpogrikpo and Anohia. The Nkporo Ada wear similar calabash masks, with vertical fibre extensions,...
The Aduma are a small ethnic group located on the upper Ogooué River in southeastern Gabon to which the mvudi mask belongs. Oral traditions about the origin of the mask make mention of the Mount Ngouadi region in the Ivindo...
Ikwara is a black mask used as an agent of social control originating from Ngounié in South Gabon. Also called ikwara-mokulu, its name means “mask of the night,” and its black colour is associated with malicious forces,...
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