Black mask - Okoroshiojo mask - Igbo - Nigeria

The black masks are masculine, heavy, sometimes deformed, and overloaded with substances with magical properties. They contrast with the female masks, which are white, beautiful, and have fine features. In the term Okoroshiojo, Ojo means dark and heavy. The dark male masks are of high quality, even though in some cases they have grotesque or beast-like faces or heads. Like the ancient bearers of a prestigious title, with whom these types of masks are associated, they are representations of power. The men were warriors, hunters, and itinerant traders who ventured far away for the good of their families. Older men were the lawmakers and judges who, before colonization, had to replace the powerful masked spirits to ensure the maintenance of order within society. In the last century, certain heavy, dark male masks were invested with legislative and judicial powers. Then, gradually, during the colonial era and afterwards, the political and spiritual authority of the Ibo masquerades declined, and today they represent nothing more than a form of secular entertainment, although sacrifices are often offered in honor of the spirits and ancestors in the name of those who organize the ceremonies. In the north of the central region, it is the eminent man, of a certain age, who wears the mask, generally called Mgbedike. This mask has wide-open jaws, large protruding teeth, and large horns, blades, or curved shapes that emerge from the head. The movements of the wearer are free and often violent; he may turn against his own followers or throw sticks at the crowd, uttering threats and invectives. Sometimes his assistants manage to control him as he roams the dance area or the village paths.

Provenance: Berthe Hartert, Barcelona
Argiles Collection, Barcelona