Indiana University Indiana University IU

Browse the collection

Head Crest

Culture Idoma
Culture Cross River
Title Head Crest (Ungulali)
Date Unknown
Medium Wood, pigment, and and nails
Dimensions Object: 12 1/2 × 6 7/8 × 9 in. (31.8 × 17.5 × 22.9 cm)
Overall: 12 1/2 × 6 7/8 × 9 in. (31.8 × 17.5 × 22.9 cm)
Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 73.55.1

Share this artwork!

About this Work

Worn on top of the head, this crest mask is associated with agricultural festivals, Christmas plays, and funerals. Its local name, ungulali, means "flute," a reference to the flute music that announces the entrance of the dancer wearing the crest.

Based on a similar multi-faced crest collected in 1958 from the family of an Idoma carver by Africanist art historian Roy Sieber, this crest and others like it have generally been identified as Idoma. However, recent research by Sidney Littlefield Kasfir, an expert on Idoma art, suggests instead that such crests either originated in the Cross River or were carved by a Cross River sculptor who had moved north and settled in the Idoma area.


Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

Viewing Information
This artwork is currently on view.

 

Request this Image
The Eskenazi Museum of Art provides images of its collection, free of charge, upon request. This artwork is under copyright protection. You can request the image and it will be emailed to you when the request is complete.

Cite this Page
"Head Crest | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=73.55.1