Ogbodo enyi anthropozoomorphic elephant mask made... Lot 17

Ogbodo enyi anthropozoomorphic elephant mask made of wood and pigments combining human features with elephant attributes. The appendage projected in front of the nose represents the trunk, while the two lateral appendages represent tusks. At the back is a human head carved in high relief, called a ntekpe. This figurative element contrasts with the stylized treatment of the mask, whose volumes are reinforced by the polychromy. Several interpretations would justify the presence of these heads in the corpus of these large masks worn by adults: figures of dignitaries or notables, or "children of the spirit". Igbo style - Nigeria Height : 58 cm W : 23,5 cm Bibliography : COLE M. Herbert, Visions of Igbo Africa, Editions 5 continents, Milan, 2013, p.136 NIGEL Barley, Arts du Nigéria revisités, Editions Musée Barbier Mueller and Somogy Editions d'art, Paris, 2015, p.97