Igbo people, Afikpo District, Eastern Nigeria

12 inches, wood with kaolin pigment

The Mma ji name is derived from the hatchet used at the yam cutting, and the peg-like projections may represent teeth. Used at the beginning of the dry season, it has three cylindrical projections, believed to represent teeth, and a blade thrusting upward from the forehead which represent the hatchet. Treated in a wholly abstract manner and sometimes painted in red, white and black colors, these masks are worn at the harvest festival by young men after the initiation ceremony.

Masks from the Afikpo area are often small, and with the soft raffia padding, design to be worn on top of the face or forehead. The effect is to make the dancer look strangely out of proportion. The yam (or axe) mask is one of the most distinctive designs from the Afikpo. This one was collected in the 1960’s and is the real thing. The soft, fiber border was partially off, so I tied it on with some string. This could easily be replaced with raffia for a more authentic look.

$385