Ogbugulu Mau Mask

Image Masks

A man wearing a white-painted Ogbugulu Mau helmet mask with an elaborate crested coiffure.

An Ogbugulu Mau helmet mask. Photographed by G.I. Jones, 1932-1938.

A photograph depicting a side view of an Ogbugulu Mau helmet mask modelled by a male subject. The face of the mask is painted white with darker pigments accentuating the eyebrows, eyes, mouth, hair, and crested structure. The eyes are small slits with rounded pupils, and the mouth is open to reveal teeth. The cheek and the side of the face feature circular designs. The top of the mask consists of an elaborate crested coiffure with painted pegs in the central arched area and incised curls representing hair. The mask is extended forward at an angle, and holes used for sewing fabric are visible along the edge. The subject is shirtless and not wearing a costume, indicating he is not performing. The background shows a thatched area and trees.

Community Notes

Onyeka Nwokike

Sep 20, 2026

The Mau masquerade was typically performed during the dry season, usually in December. Performers used voice disguisers to speak in ghostly voices while dancing and miming. According to the Ogbugulu Mau Masquerade, Amuda Village record, the full ensemble featured figures representing familial roles, including a mother, grandmother, and daughter.

Onyeka Nwokike

Sep 20, 2026

While this archival image is monochrome, the masks and costumes were originally brightly colored. As noted in a Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology exhibit, these featured geometric patterns and lines. Performers such as Nwaogho Ehi (Heifer) wore brightly colored harlequin-like appliqué costumes, cloth cloaks, and ankle-rattles made from seeds, as documented in Ogbugulu Mau Masquerader Performing in Amuda Village.

Onyeka Nwokike

Sep 20, 2026

The documentation of this mask is part of a larger study on secret societies and their masquerades conducted by G.I. Jones, which was later detailed in his 1984 publication, The Art of Eastern Nigeria, as cited in the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology record P.171133.GIJ.