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Mask | karikpo
Antelope mask, 20. Jahrhundert
About the object
Ogoni antelope masks, worn in honour of founding ancestors, feature in agricultural ceremonies. The horns stand for male potency. The black mask exhibits traces of red paint. The actual pair of eyes is suggested by convex, almond-shaped bulges adjacent to the inner eye slits. The Ogoni are neighbours of the Ibibio in the west of the Cross River area. Both peoples evince similar forms of organisation as the Igbo living to the west of them. The masks of the Ogoni are generally more delicate than those of their neighbours. Author: Michael Schönhuth, Translation: Timothy Connell
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The dark patina and delicate shape are characteristic for the antelope masks of the Ogoni. Karikpo, the elegant, horned antelope, symbolises fertility and grace. The horns stand for male potency. The Ogoni drew on an ontology of masks which was organised in secret societies and that served social, sacred and political purposes. Besides masks with human faces, they also made animal masks. The masks embodied animal and bush spirits that needed to be controlled and favourably attuned in ritual dance to maintain and promote ecological harmony. The antelope mask appeared at social events and at ceremonies that accompanied the economic cycle from sowing, growth to harvest. The ritual dances featuring the mask were performed by young people with acrobatic turns to the rhythm of drums. The Karikpo mask was invariably accompanied by a terrifying counterpart that represented the duality of life. Today, the antelope dance is performed purely for the purposes of entertainment. Translation: Timothy Connell