Authentic Danced Nigerian OGONI ELU MASK Articulated Jaw [Boston Primitive] LOOK

Description

From Nigeria in west Africa, this is a very fine used Ogoni Elu forehead mask. It has a near-black crusty patina and an articulated jaw that "chatters" when danced, sometimes called a talking mask. (Find a video of an Ogoni masquerade - you will not believe the athleticism of dancers wearing these masks and long
raffia
costumes!) The mask is in excellent vintage condition and is altogether genuine. I have replaced the rubber strip "hinge" on one side with synthetic black cord because the original was gone. The mouth opens quite wide. (Sometimes these have "matchstick" teeth.) As you can plainly see from my pictures of the back, this mask has considerable insect damage, long since arrested and very typical of wooden objects from Africa. It is quite thick-walled, perfectly typical of Ogoni forehead masks since they were not intended to fit around a face.
Ogoniland has been plagued with toxic damage to its land and delta river water caused by Shell Oil. With crops and fishing made inadequate for sustenance, many such masks came onto the international market in the 1980's to raise badly needed income. Sadly, the people's misfortune has probably made acquiring this example now possible. (I do give to Africa-oriented charities.) It is 9" x 6 3/4" x 4 1/2".
There are a lot of look-alike Elu masks with
artificially antiqued finishes on eBay. Those are easily identified by the all-over "kaolin" scumbling. Don't be fooled; this is a good one and authentic examples are usually expensive. I am dissolving a large collection at good prices so take advantage. [Boston Primitive] U.S. bidders please.