24 - Masque Ibibio Nigeria

Masque Ibibio Nigeria Wood 33.5 × 21 × 15.5 cm Enigmatic and unsettling, this mask captivates us with its remarkably sophisticated composition and ingenuity. The face is composed of a succession of juxtaposed planes, skillfully articulated. The geometry intensifies the mystery of the gaze and the power of the figure’s presence. The attention to detail in the headdress and the beard with its serrated edges attests to the importance and care devoted to its creation and reveals its significance. The Ibibio people live in southeastern Nigeria, primarily in present-day Akwa Ibom State and the neighboring regions of Cross River. The tradition of their masks is intimately linked to the Ekpo society, an ancestral men’s association that once played a major role in the community’s social, judicial, and ritual life. The strength of this example lies in its formal economy. The face appears to be constructed like a piece of architecture, through the interlocking of flat surfaces, protruding volumes, and deep incisions. Far from descriptive naturalism, the sculptor emphasized the tension of the volumes and the power of the silhouette, giving the face an almost abstract presence. This stylization, characteristic of certain Ibibio sculptural traditions, lends the mask an austere and unsettling beauty in which simplification becomes the true language of expression. Provenance - Felicia Dialossî Collection - French private collection