Ekoi Figure

Nigeria, Cross River Region

Early 20th c

19 inches high x 5 1/2 inches wide

Ex: Joshua Dimondstein, Los Angeles, Ex: Emerson Woelffer, Los Angeles

Published: The Artist as Collector, 1975, Emerson Woelffer collection.

$ 2,750

Inv. # A3298

This Ekoi or Ejagham figure is made of wood and covered by antelope skin, used in initiations, funerals and agricultural ceremonies. The Ekoi figure takes the form of a human head supporting a long neck with articulated arms presenting flattened hands upward, thought to represent an offering. The skull-shaped face has coffee-bean eyes, naturalistic nose and open mouth with filed teeth.