Otobo
Steel, wood, palm stem brooms. 1995
Lent by the Trustees of the British Museum
1996 AF 8.3

The Kalabari Otobo masquerade is a fierce character who may injure other masqueraders, audience members, or even the performer himself. Otobo's mask, often invisible to spectators, mixes animal and human features and is surrounded by palm stalks and monkey skulls. A "strong" mask, Otobo's violence is barely contained, yet it is the mask itself that attracts the spirit into the masquerade. This "beast who holds up even the flowing tide" hides behind his decoration with his face pointing to the sky.

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