Object Name: Mask with manilla
Place of Origin: Nigeria
Cultural Group: Ogoni peoples
Materials Used: Wood, stick, fiber, and pigment
Dimensions: H: 20.6 cm, W: 12.0 cm (H: 8.1 in, W: 4.7 in)
Credit line and Accession Number: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jon Herman. X79.81

This mask displays a manilla, a type of metal currency that once circulated in the region, on its headdress. The motif still suggests prosperity, and it may have identified a trader or well-to-do person.

Source: Anderson, Martha G. and Peek, Philip M. ed. (2002): “Ways of the Rivers: Arts and Environment of the Niger Delta” Los Angeles, UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History. page 299