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Iro Ekpetu of the Ogbugulu Mau Masquerade

Image Masquerades
Igbo Mau masquerade performer wearing black mask with white painted eyes and teeth, raffia costume
Iro Ekpetu ('Merciless') of the Ogbugulu Mau masquerade, Amuda village, 1932-1938

This photograph by G.I. Jones documents the Ogbugulu Mau masquerade in Amuda village, featuring Iro Ekpetu ('Merciless'). The masquerader wears a black carved mask with white painted eyes and protruding teeth, a raffia hairpiece and skirt, and cloth top and trousers. The performance, held during the dry season usually in December, involved eight masked characters accompanied by two bands and a chorus of young men. Jones noted that these masks threatened the crowd with wands or sticks while wearing loose costumes of sacking or soiled cotton cloth with raffia skirts.

Community Notes

Onyeka Nwokike

Apr 18, 2026

The Ogbugulu Mau performance was accompanied by two musical bands. The first consisted of three Ibibio-type membrane drums, a double iron gong, basket rattles, and a two-toned whistle. The second utilized a large pot with a side hole beaten by hand, a double gong, and a two-toned whistle. Performers utilized voice disguisers to project 'ghostly' voices while interacting with the crowd. Source

Onyeka Nwokike

Apr 18, 2026

Costumes for the masquerade were designed to completely conceal the wearer's hands and feet using old cloth or stockings. Uncostumed attendants guided each character; if a finger or toe became exposed during dancing, the attendant would strike the ground with a shrub spray to signal the performer to return to the dressing enclosure. These costumes were originally produced within the Nri-Awka area. Source

Source

Onyeka Nwokike

Apr 18, 2026

The ensemble of eight masked characters included two 'fierce' masks, such as Iro Ekpetu, and 'beautiful' white-faced masks that performed dances using ankle rattles. Other figures in the masquerade represented familial roles, including grandmother, mother, and daughter figures. Source

Source

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