A Fine Yoruba Epa Helmet Mask, possibly by Bamgboye of Odo Owo (ca. 1895-1978), Nigeria

the janiform helmet pierced at the mouth with large hemispherical eyes and square ears, supporting an elaborate superstructure of the warrior king riding a horse, holding a spear in his right hand and the reigns in his left, his bearded face surmounted by a tall crested hat with a pendant flange at the reverse touching the high backed saddle, and surrounded at the base by four diminuative musicians; aged varied patina with traces of red, blue, orange and white pigment.

Acquired in 1969

Bamgboye (ca. 1895-1978) was Chief Alaga of Odo Owo near Iso Ilorin and a well-known master carver. The iconography of the Silberman mask is closely related to two other Epa masks attributed to Bamgboye: one in the collection of The Detroit Institute of Arts (Kan 1995: 78, no. 27) and another formerly in the collection of Marida Hines Brinkworth (Sotheby's New York, November 11, 2005, lot 74). While the shape of the eyes of all figures and the physiognomy of the janifrom helmet, as well as the overall composition are virtually identical in the three masks, the faces of the figures in the Silberman mask are smaller and less elongated, and the sculpture as a whole is less stylized. Stylistically the Silberman mask closely relates to an Epa mask by Bamgboye in the collection of the British Museum, London (published in Trowell 1964: pl. 19). According to John Pemberton (personal communication, April 11, 2007), this, together with the more traditonal clothing, especially the headdresses, suggests that the Silberman mask was executed by Bamgboye at an earlier time than the two examples from The Detroit Institute of Arts and the Brinkworth Collection, when the artist was still developing his style and had not yet arrived at the level of perfection of his later work.