Bini oru (water spirit) crest
Shape-shifting bini orumo (plural) are the focus of appeals for protection and succor from Ijo fishermen and traders. Credited with the invention of masquerade, these spirits have been represented by artists through a rich array of forms carved from the wood of the mangrove trees that grow abundantly at the water’s edge. Worn horizontally atop the head, the mask’s elongated crescent shape acts as a canoe, the lifeblood of the Ijo’s marine economy, which sails above the assembled crowd during the masquerade. The engaged eyes suggest a figure immersed under the water’s surface.
Artwork Details
- Title:Bini oru (water spirit) crest
- Artist:Ijo artist
- Date:Late 19th–early 20th century
- Geography:Nigeria, Niger Delta Region
- Culture:Ijo peoples
- Medium:Mangrove wood (emo), ferrous nails, paint
- Dimensions:H. 15 1/2 × W. 3 3/4 × D. 3 3/4 in. (39.4 × 9.5 × 9.5 cm)
- Classification:Wood-Sculpture
- Object Number:2025.807.12
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
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