crest mask - wood skin - Nigeria

Ancient Crest Mask, Janus, Ekoi, Nigeria, wood and skin, rattan hoop. Provenance / Expertise: Jean-Yves COUE, Nantes The skin-covered masks, belatedly discovered by Murray (circa 1949) , appear to him as "being among the most striking works of art in West Africa", - this process is found only in Cameroon and Nigeria in the Benue / Cross River; The old copies, much sought after since Murray's collection for the Lagos Museum, are very rare; Our copy, whose style is similar to another skinless Janus (Anglo-Saxon sale, picture attached) , was described by the expert Jean-Yves COUE (acquired by the previous owner from the latter) , as a rare 'old crest Ekoi'; As such, it presents many minor accidents, small gaps, wear and deformities of the tense skin - preserving the structure of the wood and the face of the two heads of attached characters (see photographs) ; It is an ancient object without restorations;