Ejagham people, Nigeria late 19th to early 20th century. Wood, antelope skin, basketry, cane; 67.3 x 43.2 x 43.2 cm [The Cleveland Museum of Art] Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund, 1990.23
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Skin-covered cap or crest masks, made of antelope skin stretched over a carved head, are a distinctive naturalistic art form of the Cross River region in the southeastern part of Nigeria and western Cameroon. This realistic female headdress would have been secured on the wearer’s head by a string under his chin, and his body would be covered entirely by a long gown. This example was most probably worn by a woman in the context of an Ejagham women’s society called Ekpa, which was responsible for the education of the girls in preparation for marriage. The headdress could represent a girl that evokes ideal female beauty and is ready for marriage. The depicted hairstyle was worn during the coming-out ceremony following the girls’ seclusion.