Headdress

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Culture Ibibio

Culture Eket (subgroup of the Ibibio)

Title Headdress

Date 19th–20th century

Medium Wood, pigment, and and fiber

Dimensions Object: 24 5/16 × 5 15/16 × 4 11/16 in. (61.8 × 15.1 × 11.9 cm)
Overall (includes mount): 27 1/16 × 6 × 5 1/16 in. (68.7 × 15.2 × 12.9 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 76.1.2

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About this Work

Used by a masquerader perhaps as part of a ceremony dedicated to the earth deity, this Eket headdress would have been attached at the base to cloth and fibers that would have completely covered the body of the performer.

The figure is depicted with indications of scarification along with several other characters that are typical to figures created by the Eket subgroup of the Ibibio peoples. These characteristics include the large belly, prominent and projecting navel, and the large rounded forehead.

Provenance
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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.

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Cite this Page
"Headdress | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=76.1.2