Africa, Nigeria, 20th century CE. This carved wood headdress is overlaid with skin. It has the remains of inset wood teeth as well as twisted human hair coiffure and sits atop a woven rattan base. The Ekoi people, also known as Widekum or Ejagham, are an ethnic group on the southeastern border of Nigeria, extending eastward into Cameroon. They speak Bantu languages. They are known for their wood sculpture, of which their hyper-realistic headdresses are the best known items. These are made by fastening skin while still pliable -- rather than tanned -- over a bone-line wooden carving. Teeth are often inserted; some of the rarer ones, like this one, also include human hair. The rarest still are made from human skulls. These headdresses are worn affixed to the top of a performer's head during a dance or ritual by their basket base. These pieces are also sometimes known as Cross River headdresses. Size 11-1/2" H (29.2 cm).

Provenance: Ex-Private New York Collection, ex-Kodner Galleries

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#110779

Expected age wear and some cracks in the skin; original teeth are mostly gone.