Collection place: Delta State, Nigeria / Donor: Richard N. Henderson / Culture or time period: Western African cultures - Hearst Museum Portal Search Results

Start Over Collection place Delta State, Nigeria Donor Richard N. Henderson Culture or time period Western African cultures

Hearst Museum object titled Ancestral figure, accession number 5-3819, described as Carved wooden ancestral image; Ikenga; horned with stylized face; badly rotted; 13.5 inches high.

Hearst Museum object titled Carved sculpture, accession number 5-3829, described as Carved wooden spirit figure; called “father of ‘Agwu.’”Height 14 cm. “Agwu” refers to the personal spirit of the native doctor (”dibia”) --they will refer to this as their “Chi.” This is part of the series of wooden images which are placed out and invoked during the process of “igba afa” (divination); they are also used during the personal sacrifices on the part of the diviner himself.

Hearst Museum object titled Chalk tray, accession number 5-3826, described as Wooden chalk tray; Ufo or Kola; used in divination ceremony; 9.5 inches x 2.75 inches.

Hearst Museum object titled Face mask, accession number 5-3815, described as Wooden face mask; similar to 5-3814 called Ogbá Áfà; left side painted white; right side painted black; 9.75 x 5.75 inches.

Hearst Museum object titled Female figurine, accession number 5-3833, described as Carved wooden figure; Agbogo-agwu; young girl with elaborate hair arrangement; 7 5/8 inches high.

Hearst Museum object titled Head mask, accession number 5-3813, described as Wooden head mask; Agbala; top piece elaborately carved in forms of horned animals; strips of burlap stiched around bottom; 19.5 inches high.

Hearst Museum object titled Head mask, accession number 5-3812, described as Janus-faced wooden head mask; òmábá; painted silver with red trim; down-turned horns; covered with raffle. Ht. of face with horns, 34 cm. Ht. of other face, 28 cm.

Hearst Museum object titled Male figurine, accession number 5-3831, described as Carved wooden figure; Ikenga; stylized male smoking a pipe; trimmed in red; 13.5 inches high.

Hearst Museum object titled Male figurine, accession number 5-3834, described as Carved wooden seated male figure; Ikenga; left hand holds severed head; right hand holds matches; yellow ground; black and red trim; 18.5 inches high.

Hearst Museum object titled Mask, accession number 5-3814, described as Wooden face mask; Osi-Asi; left side painted red with white overlay; right side painted black. 33.5 x 18.5 cm. “Osi-Asi,” literally means “he tells lies.” This mask comes out into the village to announce that a festival or masking performance will occur on the next day. If two Agbogo-mmuo will appear, he will say, “there will be hundreds of agbogo-mmuo appearing tomorrow.” He exaggerates so that many people will come. Worn by Young men of a village along with very ragged costumes of raffia and tattered cloth. The white left side of the face is frequently used to represent a split character... in this case, white left means mmuo... the dead. The white right eye means that the mask has performed a sacrifice and is thus in a special holy state. This is done by ordinary men as well.