Ejagham Peoples
Ekoi Group, Cross River area, southeast Nigeria / west Cameroon

Ejagham skin-covered headdresses are portraits of ancestors. Famous men were almost all heroic warriors, so they are shown with aggressively bared teeth. The dark face represents a man; the yellow-brown face a woman. The spiral horns exaggerate a hairstyle for women. The dark marks at the temples represent tattoos cut into the skin: the circles on the female head stand for love; the rectangles on the male head signify high rank. Crest helmets are danced at funerals and serious occasions by men, who are completely covered by a long gown from the top of the head to the ankles.

Wood, antelope (duiker) skin, palm fiber, bamboo, metal studs, kaolin, pigment, Early 20th century
Purchased with funds given by Dorothy M. Price, 2005.321