Igbo - Nigeria

The Akali, a small mask, is mainly worn by young members of secret male societies.
It consists of an oval face with slanted eyes and parallel lines on the cheeks,
and a protuberance on the top of the head, which varies in shape. The Ada
subgroup of the eastern Ibo has seven groups of villages of varying sizes. Among these groups,
the Afik-Po is the best known thanks to its artistic expressions. All Ada sculptures are
linked to the village's secret male society, which brings together all adolescents and organises
masquerades. Most of these take place in the village and in public during the dry season.
Although the mask wearers are considered spirits, they are often characters
with a festive spirit – at least since the last fifty years – who prefer the
aesthetic qualities of the masquerade to be at least as important, if not more so, than the spiritual aspect.

Provenance: Medicus Mundi
Argiles Collection, Barcelona