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Igbo Dancer Performing Agaba Masquerade

Image Masquerades
An Igbo dancer in an Agaba masquerade costume, featuring a horned mask and scaled garment, surrounded by four men.
An Igbo dancer performing the Agaba masquerade in Okitipupa, Ondo Province, 1949. Photographer: Edward Harland Duckworth.

A photograph depicting an Igbo dancer in Okitipupa, Ondo Province, performing the Agaba masquerade. The central figure wears a dark, matte-textured mask with wide, recessed eyes and an open mouth revealing white, rectangular teeth. The headdress features two large, curved horns and carved humanoid figures, with organic stalks extending vertically. The performer's torso is covered in a garment of overlapping light-toned, disc-shaped objects. Four men in mid-century attire are positioned around the dancer, observing the performance. This image was published in Nigeria magazine, 1949, No. 32, p. 34.

Community Notes

Onyeka Nwokike

Sep 12, 2026

The Agaba masquerade is often viewed as a test of masculinity and a way of proving manhood. According to Achebe, the tradition represents the power and aggressiveness of youth, as discussed in The Time of the Brave. Conversely, colonial propaganda films from 1949, such as Daybreak in Udi, used agaba masqueraders to symbolize conservatism, tradition, and male gerontocracy, as noted by The British Academy.

Onyeka Nwokike

Sep 12, 2026

This photograph was published in a periodical that underwent several name changes. Originally launched as The Nigerian Teacher, the publication was titled Nigeria from 1936 until 1959 before being renamed Nigeria Magazine after the country's independence in 1960, according to Archivi.ng.

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