Ogbugulu Mau Masquerader Performing in Amuda Village
This black-and-white photograph captures the Ogbugulu Mau masquerade performance in Amuda village near Awka, southeastern Nigeria, between 1932 and 1938. The masquerader Nwaogho Ehi (Heifer) wears a white helmet mask with distinctive v-shaped markings above and below the eyes, a brightly colored harlequin-like appliqué costume, cloth cloak tied around the neck, and ankle-rattles made from seeds. The photograph documents Igbo masquerade traditions among the Isuochi people, showing the elaborate costume design and performance context within a rural setting with mud and thatch houses. The image was published in G.I. Jones's 1984 work with the caption "Nwabogho Efi (Heifer): Ogubugulu Mau masquerader. Isuochi Ibo."
Community Notes
Onyeka Nwokike
Apr 18, 2026
The name "Ogbugulu Mau" is a transcription of "Ogbugulu Mmau," with "Mmau" (or Mmụọ) meaning ghost or spirit in Igbo. Similarly, the performer's name "Nwaogho Ehi" is a transcription of "Nwa agbogho Ehi," meaning "Heifer Maiden" or "Maiden Heifer," as "Nwa agbogho" translates to maiden or girl.
Ụkpụrụ̄
Onyeka Nwokike
Apr 18, 2026
Amuda is a major town within the Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State. The masquerade performance is documented among the Isuochi community, one of the three major septs of Umunneochi (alongside Umuchieze and Nneato) and part of the larger Isu Igbo subgroup.
Umunneochi - Wikipedia
Onyeka Nwokike
Apr 18, 2026
The photograph was captured by Gwilym Iwan Jones using a Rolleiflex camera and was later featured in his 1984 scholarly work, which examines the intersection of Igbo ritual arts, performance, and colonial resistance.
The Art of Eastern Nigeria
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