Masquerader with Boat Headdress
1987
Steel, mirror, wood, bells, cloth, paint, motor
97-4-1, purchased with funds provided by the Annie Laurie Aitken Endowment

In Kalabari culture, the men’s Ekine association performs honoring water spirits. The carved wooden headdresses decorated with feathers, cloth and other items represent these spirits and are worn on top of the dancers’ heads to face the gods. The sculpture’s cloth strips with their pistonlike movement and clusters of bells bring the noise and bustle of the performance into the gallery.

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