Ekoi Wood Mask, Nigeria, Based

Square eyes, square mouth, and teeth that have been counted out one at a time.

This mask is Ekoi (Ejagham), from Nigeria in West Africa, 20th century, made of wood. The Ekoi and their neighbors made masks for performances by men's associations, at funerals, initiations and other public occasions, though practices varied between communities. A raised ridge climbs the domed forehead to a small bump between the brows. The eye openings are rectangular, the nose long and straight, and the open mouth is lined with small teeth. Peg-like ears and knobs stand along the sides. The surface is glossy reddish brown, darkening at one side. It stands on a base. Twenty-one inches high.

It has the look of someone interrupted mid-sentence.