Eyo

Object Details

Erhabor Ogieva Emokpae, 1934-1984

Label Text

A graphic artist, painter, and sculptor, Erhabor Ogieva Emokpae was one of Nigeria's most important second-generation modern artists. This painting typifies his style from the 1960s and reflects his concern for and interest in design, modern international art, and traditional Nigerian art and customs.

Eyo depicts a masquerade that was held on Lagos Island associated with funerals of kings, chiefs and notable citizens.The masqueraders are concealed and transformed by white, baglike cloth costumes.

Description

Vertical acrylic on masonite of two overlapping masqueraders in white veils and brimmed hats holding crossed brown rods on a background of abstract blue forms and a face or mask.

Provenance

J. Newton Hill, New York, acquired Nigeria, 1962

Mr. and Mrs. J. Newton Hill, New York, 1962 to 1995

Exhibition History

African Mosaic: Selections from the Permanent Collection, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2013–August 12, 2019 (deinstalled July 8, 2019)

African Mosaic: Celebrating a Decade of Collecting, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2010-November 19, 2013

Century City: Art and Culture in the Modern Metropolis, Tate Museum, London, February 1-April 29, 2001

Published References

Lancaster, Michael. 1992. "Art Gallery, Exhibition Centre, Marina, Lagos" in Nigeria, no. 74, p.93

Content Statement

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Image Requests

High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. Louise C. Hill

1962

Object number

95-16-1

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Painting

Medium

Acrylic on masonite

Dimensions

H x W x D (framed): 201.3 × 125 cm (79 1/4 × 49 3/16 in.)

Other (stretcher): 199.8 × 122.5 cm (78 11/16 × 48 1/4 in.)

Geography

Nigeria

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

National Museum of African Art

Topic

male

mask

Record ID

nmafa_95-16-1

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7ddf17d0a-6a0c-4058-b16b-98f1c29f30a4