Okoroshi Female Mask with Raffia

Origin: Igbo Tribe, Nigeria
Composition: wood, kaolin pigment, vegetable fiber

The Okoroshi masquerade is performed to this day over a fairly broad area near the southern town of Owerri. There are many regional variations of the masquerade, but typically, the ceremony involves the opposition of two classes of masks: white masks (like this piece) and dark masks. The white masks are carved with refined, delicate features, and manifest female spirits, whereas the dark masks are carved with grotesque features and manifest male spirits. This dualistic, complimentary opposition characterizes much masking among the Igbo tribe. The female spirits summoned by this mask are responsible for purity, safety, community strength, order, clarity, and peace (Ref: Visona, "A History of Art In Africa").