Ejagham, Ekoi

Janus Headdress

Headdresses, created from the skulls of enemies, were prevalent throughout the Crossriver area from ancient times. The origin of this cult is attributed to the Ekoi people. This beautiful, wild example already has a carved wooden core behind the leather covering. Janus representations are rather rare.

Nigeria, 20th/19th century, 19 cm
Acquired ca. 1930 from Alfred Klinkmüller, Berlin, Germany.

Gods Spirits Ancestors, African sculpture from private German collections" exhibition), Vienna, 1994.
Lexikon Afrikanische Kunst und Kultur, Schaedler, 1994
Zemanek (David), In the Footsteps of Alfred Mansfeld. The Art and Culture of the Ejagham, in A4 Magazine of Non-European Art and Culture, 2009.