231016 - Rare Old African Igala helm mask - WITH CERTIFICATE - Nigeria.

231016 - Rare Old African Igala helm mask - WITH CERTIFICATE - Nigeria.
€365.00

Rare Old African Igala helm mask, Nigeria.
Hand carved from a single piece of wood, with color pigments.
High: 28 cm.

This Helmet mask is from the mid of the 20th century and purchased in my private collection in 2001, with a certificate of authenticity.

Besides the royal Igala masks, the most famous during the Idah festivals, there are other rarer masks, some of which could have originated from the Akpoto.
On this Igala helmet mask we find the scarifications on the forehead, cheeks and temples, characteristic of the Ankpa region.
The goatee is more commonly found on certain Idoma and Afo masks.
This mask is the perfect illustration of a combination of various styles, as it comes from this cultural region with mixed influences.