Igri/okonkpo face mask
Not on view
This delicate, refined visage incarnates a state of madness. Wearing it is believed to provoke strange or erratic movements and behaviors. It is known as Igri to local secret society initiates; non-initiates refer to it as okonkpo given its resemblance to a large serving tray of the same name. The mask’s defining features are the tears that extend from the eyes as diagonal stripes. Its top edge would have been adorned with bundles of dyed raffia or other plant fibers. Following the harvest, Igri helped redirect the creative energies of Afikpo communities from farming.
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