Shark mask

Africa, Nigeria

I am a mask. My dancer does not wear me on his face, but on the top of his head. To be able to dance, he must be skilled and strong, for I am close to 7 feet long.

I was brought into being by the agile fingers of a sculptor from the Ekpeya Igbo people, on the banks of the Niger River. Once a year, the Ekpeya Igbo men come together and dance a great dance to celebrate the water spirits.
Can you identify the shape in which I appear? Look at how long I am. Look at my tail that seems to be divided in two, at my three triangles. Don't they remind you of three fins?
A shark am I, full of fantasy and color. I look like no other mask.

  • What does this mask suggest when you look at it from a distance?

  • What do you discover when you look at it from up close?

  • What patterns are used several times?

  • Has any particular detail caught your attention?

Shark mask
Zoomorphic mask
Africa, Nigeria 20th century
Wood, paint, metal 7 ft 7.7 in x 2 ft 6. 0.4 in7 in x 2 ft
© quai Branly Museum,
photo by Patrick Gries