International Museum Studies' Master Programme 2008-2010

Material Culture & Collection

Module leader: Ewamarie Herklint

Documentation Report: The Ogbodo Enyi

International Museum Studies' Master Programme 2008-2010

Group Assignment: Malin Andren, Josune Arizti, Maëva Begon, Sanda Sejdinovic

Table of content

Abstract3

Introduction3

Note on our use of terminology4

The Ogbodo Enyi's description5

The Ogbodo Enyi's biography6

Its original context6

The Mask in Africa6

The Igbo society and their use of the Ogbodo Enyi7

Its acquisition by the museum9

The Ogbodo Enyi as a part of the museum's collection10

Interpretation and accessibility10

The Ogbodo Enyi's interpretation and significance for the museum11

The Ogbodo Enyi's future11

Display and storage proposal11

Light13

Heat, Condensation and Humidity 13

Our display proposal14

Education 15

Who owns the Ogbodo Enyi?15

Conclusion17

Bibliography19

Appendix A: Previous information about the Ogbodo Enyi at the museum21

Appendix B: Pictures of the Ogbodo Enyi. February 19th, 2009. Measurements24

Current condition of the mask:26

Appendix C: Display proposal31

Appendix D: Maps32

Appendix E: Additional Information34

Abstract

The present documentation report is based on the research of the Obodgo Enyi or Elephant mask from Nigeria, most likely originally created for ritual purposes by the Ibo tribe and Izi subtribe, and acquired by the Museum of World Culture of Gothenburg, in 1982. The aim of the report is to discuss and document the mask implications considering different point of views -from the physical description of the object and its biography in its original context to the present, including former interpretations and accessibility of the mask, to its current conservation status as well as its present value and significance. In addition, we attempted to formulate suggestions on preserving the integrity of the Obodgo Enyi mask in its actual context: the museum. Finally, it should be emphasized that the results of this report must be regarded as the starting point for broadening and encouraging further investigation and future displays.

Introduction

As part of our International Museum Studies master's programme, we have been divided into groups for a three-week object handling training at the Museum of World Culture's storage, Gothenburg, under the supervision of Jan Amnehäll, conservator and head of collections and conservation, and Anna Javer Kristiansen, textile conservator.

From the discovery of 'our' object which had been chosen for us by our supervisors to fit to the theme « Masks and Rituals » which had been picked by our programme's leaders, we experienced and took actively part in the conservation and curatorial work. That training has consisted in several phases, including documentation, conservation proposal, cleaning, support proposal for display and finally packing and transportation of the object to the museum. That is, in order to broaden and deepen our understanding and knowledge as far as working with collections is concerned, to document an object of the museum collection which till now had only been very briefly described, and eventually to be able to properly use and display those objects in an exhibition, which will be part of our next module's assignment.

Consequently, the writing of this documentation report can be thought about both as the final stage of our training at the museum's storage, and also as the starting point for any curatorial work since it will, given the allotted time we have had, provide as much information as possible about the object our group had to take care of, on physical, ethnographical and ethical levels. Thus, we hope that the results of our work here gathered will be of future use for the museum's practitioners, as well as for those interested (e.g. for research purposes) in this particular object and/or the culture it comes from.

The particular object our group has been responsible for during that training is a Nigerian Ogbodo Enyi or Elephant mask which the museum bought in 1982 from an art dealer. Even though that purchase is only twenty-seven year old, very little information had been written down and stored in the archives and, to a larger extend we have had to face difficulties to document it. Consequently, and as the following report shows, we have often had to recourse to a broader context, the African one, although we are aware of the dangers and limits of such a generalization.

Our documentation report consists of three main parts; the first one deals with the physical description of the object and the second focuses more in depth on its biography from its original context to the present day as a part of the museum collection, while in the last one we have tried to apprehend the future of that object, at least how we believe it should be taken care of in the future.

Note on our use of terminology

Taken for granted the loss of meaning in the translation process, and according to several specialists’ argument found in the literature, we decided to agree on the use of certain terms in order to give a more coherent as well as more readable form to our report. Furthermore, we were willing to be as respectful as possible vis-à-vis the society our mask comes from. That is the reason why between its three denominations- Elephant mask, Double mask or Ogbodo Enyi- we thought that the latter one was the most appropriate to speak about our object, simply because it is the one that society used and as we consider still does.

Furthermore, while the terms Ibo and Igbo design the same tribe, we have chosen to use Igbo ; and for the subtribe’s name which is know as Izzi, Izi, Iji or Wa-Wa, we decided to refer to it as Izi.

The Ogbodo Enyi's description

Our object to which the catalogue number 82.1.1 had been inscribed and which is currently held in the storage of the Gothenburg Museum of World Culture (formerly the Ethnographic Museum of Gothenburg), is an Ogbodo Enyi, known also as a 'double mask' or 'elephant mask' bought by the museum from Jan Lundberg in 1982. It is said to come from the Nigerian Ibo tribe and Izzi subtribe. Made of lightwood, the Ogbodo Enyi is in fairly good condition of conservation and consists of both a zoomorphic figure, and an anthropomorphic one. Thus, its general dimensions are 520x330x284mm with an irregular hole underneath for the head of approximately 11x12cm, and its weight is 2523 grammes.

Its zoomorphic side embraces the ¾ of the whole mask and represents a strongly schematic and symmetrical elephant's head. The semicircular forehead, with some kind of tapering horn pointing forward in the middle, includes also two conical eyes. The snout consists of two slightly curved tusks emerging from both sides of a triangular mouth opening.

On another hand, its anthropomorphic side depicts a human head projecting from a diamond-shaped field. The ears are semicircular and small, the eyes are very deep-set, the nose is thin, and the tooth-studded oval mouth is in the conically tapering lower face. The face has raised vertical scarification lines on the forehead and both cheeks, as well as between the nose and the mouth. The top of the head has a topknot kind of tiara or plume with a bulb-shaped middle part. Moreover, one can appreciate the carved symbols on both cheeks: a downward-pointing letter « E » but with four lines or a comb on the left one; and a kind of cross with equal segments and at the end of which smaller segments have been added on the right one. That is, if we compare them to the Ekpo ideographic written language, Nsibidi (South-Eastern Igboland), we can presume that the comb-like symbol means « word, speech, meeting, or congress », nevertheless we have not been able to find any reference concerning the second symbol, which weakens our hypothesis without contradicting it either.

According to our observation, that Ogbodo Enyi was carved in one single piece of lightwood, except for the eyes of the elephant which look like they have been added later on. As found in the literature, the wooden block is likely to have been carved with an adze and refined with the adze blade or knifes. The carving has probably been smeared with palm oil, crushed charcoal and lampblack as a protective coating.

Under the actual dark varnish or polish one can observe several shades on the mask's surface that indicates that originally, different colours were apparently covering it. Compared to other masks from the same area, we can speculate that those colours might have consisted of black, white and red – with black denoting the relationship between the living and the dead, the white referring to the ancestors and potent medicine, and the red symbolizing life, women, as well as the institution of kinship. Those colours could believably be made of tannin and charcoal for the black, from line for the white, and from crush tree bark for the red. That assumption concerning the original colours and their provenance would nevertheless need to be scientifically proved via a chemical analysis by a conservator.

The Ogbodo Enyi's biography

Its original context

As already mentioned in the introduction, a deep lack of documentation about that particular object, and about that kind of mask within the Izi context, forced us to set it in a larger perspective. While being reductionist, this approach has, however, the merit to encompass what are said to be the main features of the social use of masks in African societies in general, and the use of Ogbodo Enyi masks within the Igbo society.

The Mask in Africa

Generally speaking, African masks can be divided into three main categories, depending both on their shape and on the way of wearing them: 1) the “facial mask” which covers partially or totally the face; 2) the “crest mask”, which is worn on the head or the forehead aid of a support; and 3) the “helmet mask” which covers the whole head and sometimes the shoulders as well. Furthermore, it is important to note that while referring to a “mask”, one should keep in mind that the term encompasses both the plastic creation -part which is usually displayed in museums- and the whole costume which was intended to complete it. That is, a mask’s sacred meaning and power can only be revealed through motion and use by an initiated bearer and dancer.

African masks began to be of interest by European collectors from the 19th century, mostly because of their appearance, but this focus on their artistic attributes or qualities-given a Eurocentric context and so, taste- prevented those artefacts to be apprehended for what they socially and religiously embodied and meant. Worth mentioning here is the fact that most African societies do not have a generic term which would refer to the English term “mask”, nonetheless they call every mask by the spirit it has been created to help manifest. For example, Ogbodo Enyi means “elephant spirit”, which explains that one its denomination is “Elephant mask”. Indeed, as W. Fagg described, the use of the noun “mask” must be understood as a means which hides and removes the identity of the bearer to let the spirit's identity come to light during ritualized masquerades. In other words, the mask bearer is “a transformer being, not a person imitating a spirit but a person whose identity is subsumed into the underworld being who is truly present”.

And that is the reason why they were mainly use during public masquerades where music and dance were the most common characteristics and during which the bearer was expected to go into a trance to let the spirit be incarnated, the most often as part of a whole ritual. Those masquerades had diverse goals such as markers of the life cycle events (birth, initiation, marriage and death) or natural events (change of season, agriculture, etc), revitalization of the cohesion of the group, or also as simple entertainment for the group. Today, that latter purpose has become a widespread motive to hold masquerades in many African societies -which can be seen as a result of both Christianisation and tourism.

The Igbo society and their use of the Ogbodo Enyi

The Igbo people are estimated to be about 24/25 millions today and they form the second largest group living in Southern Nigeria. Archaeological excavations and research suggest that their presence on Ibgoland is at least five thousand year old, and that one of its main characteristic -up till the colonization- has been its intrinsic continuity. That is, the consequences of the colonial power settlement combined with the slave trade can, however, been seen as a deep fracture for the Igbo society, on social, political, and economical levels.

Traditionally, the physical sustainability of the Igbo society depended on trade, yam cultivation and fishing. The society was based on patrilineage and exogamy, and was organised on a village-basis with an important emphasis on what as been described as a well-known small-scale democracy in which the power of the family heads gathered into the council of elders and of the secret societies were supposed to balance each other. Thus, both boys/men and girls/women belonged to age-class groups upon which public activities and duties uncombed. While highly gendered structured, the Igbo society gave, nonetheless, a certain power to women to express themselves through satire and the use of terms of abuses.

The last important feature upon which the Igbo society was built is the belief in natural forces and ancestors. In their animist cosmology, Ale, the deity of the Earth was the most powerful of the deities (Alusi), and the ancestors were seen as their messengers. Indeed, for the Igbo, “[t]he living, the dead, and the unborn form[ed] part of a continuum” which was regenerated through ritualized offerings and ceremonies. This ritualized cycle was thought about as the only means for the group's physical and spiritual sustainability.

As showed in the African context, masquerades in Igboland were also a significant part of the social and ritual life of the group. Masquerades were used as catharsis, or part of initiation or deities/ancestors celebration rituals; but as much as the Ogbodo Enyi is concerned the use was rarely of pure entertainment. It was, indeed, mostly used by groups of young boys and of elder man, to show their adhesion to particular groups of initiates as well as to inspire and reinforce the community's feeling of belonging, and to motivate the community for public duties. Thus, the Ogbodo Enyi mask was used by the elders during the dry season to “cleanse and rejuvenate the community”.

Despite their diversity, the Igbo masks, including the Ogbodo Enyi, were often made of wood or fabric, and they, as the other plastic creations, usually put into practice and embodied the complementary concepts of beauty/beast, feminine/masculine, as well as light and dark. And, around the cavity for the head several holes were pierced and that would allow the rest of the mask, in other words the whole costume, to be attached to it in order to cover the whole body of the dancer. Moreover, it is worth noticing that each mask had its own specific meaning due to a particular aim.

But, while only used by men up till 1975, a mysterious disease causing a high rate of infant mortality made the women resort to a new kind of masquerade involving the Ogbodo Enyi. By infringing the old taboo, which forbad them to even see that kind of masks, that re-use, was understood as celebration and reinforcement of their social identity and role.

Its acquisition by the museum

This Ogbodo Enyi was bought by the Ethnographic Museum of Gothenburg on July 1st 1982 from the well-known collector Jan Lundberg, who had, unfortunately, not documented at all his acquisition. Even though several other objects had been acquired from him by the museum, that mask is the only object of that particular collection. Moreover, as it is the case from many African objects collected during and after the colonization, it is impossible to know when the mask had been made. However, given the rapid decay of wood under Africa's climate, we can estimate that the mask was not more than one hundred year old when it was bought.

Indeed, and like we could have predicted considered its epoch of acquisition, there was then no specific collecting policy as museums try to implement today, and the main purpose of the collecting process was to get an broad ethnographical collection of objects from as many as possible parts of the world, in order to document and monitor diversity and future changes that might occur. In other words, that purchase was made in order to fill a gap within the geographical mapping which had previously focused mainly on Latin America, and to get tangible traces of societies which were into a deep mutation through the decolonization and independence processes. Indeed that fear of traditional societies’ disapperance was a common narrative in anthropology throughout Europe, supported both by scholars and museum practitioners, who believed that “knowledge itself was thought of as embodied in objects”.

But that collecting process based on a will to get a geographical representation via artefacts is only one side of the reason why it had been bought. As Jan Amnehäll recalled it, its plastic, and consequently aesthetical value inscribed by the museum as moral entity was also of importance.

The Ogbodo Enyi as a part of the museum's collection

Interpretation and accessibility

The mask has been showcased on three different occasions: Firstly, in a permanent exhibit about Africa at the Ethnographic Museum of Gothenburg, from 1983 to 1986. The object was displayed standing at the bottom of a showcase wall fixed cupboard with small shelves. The 600 objects that formed the exhibition were exhibited in a rather similar way. The approach of the exhibit towards the objects, including the Ogbodo Enyi mask was rather ethnographical than anthropological, giving examples of humans activities, for instance, religious rituals, etc.

Second and thirdly, the mask was part of the following temporary exhibitions: from December, 2nd 1988 – January 15th, 1989, Before Picasso, African art in Swedish Collections at Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden and from March 18th – June 11th, 1989 in the exhibition Africa, Africa! at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebaek, Denmark.

The mask has been published in the catalogue of Before Picasso, African art in Swedish Collections. The purpose of the exhibition as well as the gathering of the body of material for it, was linked to another exhibit showcased the previous year at the Moderna Museet, Stockholm, about the works of Pablo Picasso, as this art played a considerable role for Picasso and for early twentieth century European modernism.

The exhibition –a collection of classical African art, according to said publication, included more than 600 objects that were arranged “in a pedagogically worked out succession from people to people in a sequence from West to Central Africa. The relevant situation in villages is illustrated by photographic enlargements, captures on glass plates by missionaries at the beginning of the century. Other large photographs reveal several of our most outstanding West European artists and their works from the early twentieth century which have an interesting relationship to African work”. Films and video were additional means used at the exhibition. Thus, the articles featured in the catalogue emphasized the relationship and extend awareness of the ‘fascinating mystery’ of an earlier Africa and the changes that were taking place in the days the exhibit was displayed.

For the Africa, Africa! exhibition there was no catalogue as such, although a checklist of the 569 objects integrated in this exhibit -including the elephant mask, was listed in Louisiana revy, the museum’s own periodical publication. Some of the works were illustrated in this issue as well.

Both exhibitions included African art in Swedish collections from six public museums and several private collections, such as Folkens Museum Etnografiska, Gothenburg’s Ethnographical Museum, Landskrona Museer, Svenska Missionsförbundet and Svenska Sällskabet för Antropologi och Geografi.

An art history perspective underpinned the exhibitions at Liljevalchs Konsthall and Louisiana Museum of Modern Art –they were, practically, one same exhibition, it was only the title that was adapted to suit each museum. Consequently, it could be said that the mask in question, throughout these exhibitions, has been accessible mainly to the respective audiences of each venue, during the periods of time the exhibitions were up on display.

The Ogbodo Enyi's interpretation and significance for the museum

From the sources we rely on and from what we know about the biography of the object, we know that the Ogbodo Enyi mask was acquired by the Ethnographic Museum of Gothenburg in order to fill in a gap. Also, we can tell that the object was loaned out for Before Picasso, African art in Swedish Collections, an exhibition that Liljevalchs Konsthall decided to undertake at the last minute and thus, the large body of material of African art in Swedish ownership was collected in a short time. It is clear that no research of any kind whatsoever has been undertaken towards said mask, nor it seems there will be anytime soon.

However, we consider an asset on the museum’s behalf the fact that they have loaned the object out to other institutions in order to be interpreted in different ways and reinterpreted, reflected upon and displayed from diverse approaches, such as the case of Before Picasso and Afrika, Afrika! exhibitions. In this way, the Ogbodo Enyi mask has had some mobility and exposure to miscellaneous audiences, also increasing its value and significance which, at present, is very much not at its full potential since, as previously mentioned, we do not really know so much about it due to the lack of research and study around it.

The Ogbodo Enyi's future

Display and storage proposal

As it can be appreciated on the photographs submitted along, while looking closely at it, despite its general state of good condition, the Ogbodo Enyi mask was quite filled with dust particles and many cracks were found on it. Also, while handling the object, we found that two small pieces -the animal’s right eye and a piece inside its mouth- were loose. Thus, and as pointed out in the literature for many other artefacts of this kind, the mask might have been both, polished and recovered by a darker varnish or paint. Indeed, as mentioned in the descriptive part, we believe also that it was originally covered by colours. Moreover, traces in several locations, particularly around the opening for the head, show that the mask might have been victim of an insect pest -which fortunately was stopped, at least during the freezing process at the museum.

Since restoration of particular objects is not seen as the most important duty for collections’ care at the Museum of the World Culture, the removal of what we think to be a varnish to discover and analyze possible pigments underneath is not an option. That would, nevertheless, be very interesting, and combined with an analysis of the so-called ‘ethnographic dirt’ could give us more information about the context of that mask fabrication and use.

The unique material, lightwood, -which is a kind of very dry wood- the object is made of makes its preventive conservation rather simple and the most important criteria seem to concern stable temperature and humidity levels to avoid any further damage. Nevertheless, and considered the environmental care within the recent Museum of World Culture’s storages as far as pollutants and pests via quarantine and/or freezing processes, relative humidity, stable temperature and shelves material are concerned, we do not see what else could be recommended for our object future conservation. Dry cleaning could be relevant, especially around and inside the animal’s eyes, nostrils and mouth, and for the man’s teeth, crown, cheeks’ inscriptions and nose. Furthermore, a specific care should be taken to insure that the two loose pieces are not lost in the future, with appropriate use of the material to attach them back to the mask.

However, in order to achieve the preservation of the object as well as to safeguard its future, the environment must be controlled, especially since the object has already gone through some previous biological damage, and due to the organic material it’s built of, it will always have the propensity to experience another attack. Undertaking internationally acceptable levels recommended for the preservation of material regarding light, heat, humidity, just to name a few, we suggest:

Light

If the object is going to be displayed, it must be taken in consideration how it will be affected by light; as both, artificial and natural light, are carriers of radiant energy that eventually could cause permanent and irreversible damage in the object. Most museums tend to use a mix of daylight and artificial light in order to cause as less amount of damage as possible to the objects on display. An action to safeguard them from it is to black out the daylight as well as to control the amount of exposure to it.

Heat, Condensation and Humidity

A cool temperature is preferable for most types of objects - higher temperatures could remove their natural moisture, drying them out and causing damage, e.g. the Ogbodo Enyi mask could suffer further cracks; lower temperatures can also assist pest control.

Another issue regards the condensation that occurs when warm saturated air meets cold -a problem that can be caused by visitors breathing and bringing in moisture from the outside environment.

Related to this is the Relative Humidity, RH, which, ideally, in most cases, should be 55%±5% RH, i.e. from 50%RH to 60% RH, and at a temperature between 19°C and 23°C. To avoid sudden fluctuations, the objects could possibly be stored in a range of conditions from 40%RH to 65% RH. For wood objects, like the Ogbodo Enyi, these recommendations must certainly be respected, if not, its integrity could be jeopardized. Too high RH (above 65% RH) encourages mould; too low RH risk drying out the object.

Air pollutants such as the control of dust and dirt must be considered –a good housekeeping is a very efficient way to keep pollutants out of the museum or display environment: vacuuming regularly to keep the dust to a lower amount; keeping the polishing to a minimum, lifting dust off objects with a soft brush and using a vacuum to collect it, not rubbing off the dust, not using damp clothes except where safe to do so, just to name a few. Meanwhile, good ventilation is favourable for keeping the integrity of the objects as well.

To fully consider the conditions above mentioned and to monitor the objects is essential for establishing a safe and proper environment. Lastly, we believe that the observations on the mask’s condition (e.g. notes and pictures with comments) should be included in the archives and/or on the database to document the object as good as possible, as well as any hypothetical conservation actions that the museum’s curators will think appropriate to undertake.

Our display proposal

Whereas the Ogbodo Enyi 's multiple values have previously been discussed, we should now focus on the impact of its plastic in any hypothetic display. Indeed, the mask can be looked at from different angles; each showing a different aspect of its plastic, e.g. its anthropomorphic or zoomorphic side, the top, etc. Since it is an object with a strong three-dimensional presence, we consider that it is necessary for the visitor to have the opportunity to see it that way in order to fully appreciate it. Moreover, the loss of meaning due to the Ogbodo Enyi's stillness, could be, partially be offset by the public's own mobility and accessibility around it.

The second argument we think would be of great importance if the Ogbodo Enyi was to be displayed deals with the context: it should be talked about within and from the Ibgo society context, as well as within a broader -e.g. the African one, with a possible choice concerning the perspective (artistic, historic, anthropologic, etc)- which could possibly be accompanied and supported by a discussion about its past and possible future. Indeed, having a multi-voices approach to display this mask would open a dialogue between the museum practitioners, the visitors and hopefully the Igbo people, and that would let the visitor to interact with the objectand to make his/her mind about this object and the “stories” around it with full knowledge of the facts. In order to do so, our suggestion would consist of having several labels that would narrate different stories- a way to free the mask of the silence history had plunged it into. That is, we believed that it would be relevant to deepen the researches about the mask, and essential to get in contact with the Izi or at least the Ibo people.

Out of any specific context, our main argument is that the showcase should make the three-dimensional viewpoint possible, but at the same time ensure the safety of the object. So, we think that a showcase in which the upper part would be made of glass, could be a good option: people could easily turn around and look at the Ogbodo Enyi from its different sides, and the case would create a micro-climate which could easily be monitored if needed. The general dimensions of our showcase would be thought of as to facilitate the children and persons in wheelchairs enjoyment and interaction as well. Inside the glass case, the mask would be displayed on a hat-stand like support, in order both to ensure a better stability and prevent further damage of its base, and to make as if it was worn.

Education

The Ogbodo Enyi, because of its social, aesthetic, cultural, and historical values, embodies a real potential for educational purposes, particularly if a discussion, a seminar or an exhibition about colonization, museums in that context and today issues such as the illicit trade were to be broached. That is, the mask could be used as a starting point or as one of the witnesses of a past which has long been denied (as much as the narratives that sustained and justified it, and which created binary oppositions between “we” and “them”) and of a present that endanger cultural properties all over the world.

Moreover, and as probably many other artefacts in museums' storages, we do believe that it is a pity that the object has been so rarely displayed and through only an aesthetic perspective, and that its multi-layered values should be stressed and that it should, consequently, be used and displayed. Thus, its good condition could also be seen as a favourable factor to use it for a handling workshop project, where a group of people (adults or children) could discover some of the museum's collection under the supervision of a conservator. That kinaesthetic experience could consequently increase the visitors’ interest and understanding of the issues rose during that session.

Who owns the Ogbodo Enyi?

With regards to the little information concerning the Ogbodo Enyi's exact provenance, primary purchase and arrival to Europe, and more particularly to Sweden, we can only speculate and include it within a larger context. However, taken for granted the old-established and large market that exists for African artefacts, and especially masks, from the former colonialized countries, we can affirm that the Ogbodo Enyi most likely belonged to this kind of objects which were recognized only for their plastic values, thereby loosing their cultural and historical identity, which very often made African collections mute.

Furthermore, not knowing how the Ogbodo Enyi was first collected- in other words if it has been bought, taken, or stolen- makes us believe that contacting the community it came from is the least the museum should do if further investigations were started up. The acquisition is not old, so that means that there might be someone or even several persons who could remember that transaction or event, which would be very helpful. The art dealer who sold the mask to the museum could also be interviewed in order to get a better knowledge of the context in which that happened. Thus, if the Ogbodo Enyi really embodied the strong social and ritual values we think it did (and possibly still does), the community should be aware of that the mask is held in the storages of the Museum of World Culture. Although we have no idea whether the Igbo or Izi would be willing to get the mask back or not, that would be an interesting question for the future that must include the community itself, directly or maybe through one representative or through the AFRICOM. And even if the comunity was not interested in getting it back, it could, however, have requirements or wishes concerning the way it should be handled, stored and/or displayed.

Since the object was bought by the museum in the early 1980’s, the discussion and awareness of the illicit trade issues were just beginning to surface – illicit trade of this kind of objects is today a well-recognised problem –even though that had been a subject for discussion by UNESCO from the 1960’s on. Indeed, the problem of the looting of archaeological sites and of theft from museums has steadily increased, the objects generally travelling from south to north, indicating the already familiar pattern of the old colonial system. Such a situation made the UNESCO to create in 1970 the “Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property”.

Despite a clear intention to expand the possibilities for the cultural tourism industry in Nigeria, we can see that efforts have been made in cooperation with UNESCO to preserve and save the country's heritage. As a result, the World Heritage List includes today two Nigerian sites: the Sukur Cultural Landscape (1999) and the Osun Sacred Grove (2005), , and the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity took in the “Oral heritage of Gelede” in 2001, and the “Ifa divination system” in 2005. The former one is the one of greater interest for our purpose, since the Gelede is a danced and masked ceremony performed by the Yoruba-Nago community every year after the harvest and which contains ritual forms. Its preparation is very time-consuming and requires good craftsmanship, especially to make the costumes and masks. Unfortunately, the problem and danger for the community cultural expression and heritage is that technical improvement could possibly result in gradual loss of traditional know-how and, and that the ceremony would eventually be transformed into a folklore product for touristic purpose. Nonetheless, UNESCO recognised that the community is showing awareness of those risks and is making efforts to save this intangible heritage. That may not be a discussion directly related to the Ogbodo Enyi mask but the issues surrounding this Gelede ceremony implies that efforts to safeguard Nigeria’s cultural heritage are increasing and could in the future be extended to other cultural expressions.

As the repatriation of the Ogbodo Enyi could be encountered as an option in the future, we believe that today the Museum of World Culture, as its current owner, should be particularly careful in the colonialization and illicit traffic-related issues surrounding a large part of its collection. Being aware, explaining and debating those problems concerning the colonial past of some of their objects, as well as the museum role and responsibility in that context, and working towards a more integrating policy (as suggested by ICOM’s ethical rules) is actually a necessity. Even though this problematic is currently at the heart of the “A stolen world” exhibition that displays the Paracas textiles -which includes a discussion of their problematic past-. The controversy of the previous collecting process of the museum will, nevertheless, require to be apprehended from other perspectives and other areas of the word, aid of different parts of the collection, if not, the museum might be criticised as not taking full responsibility for those issues.

Conclusion

Finding significant and relevant information about the Ogbodo Enyi has been challenging for our group, both because of the limited amount of information we started with and the limited amount of answers we got from the people we had contacted. We can, however, say that the initial mask's significance has long been ignored and denied, being instead seen a means to show European art along with “primitive” art or to stand for an empty embodiment of the Igbo culture. Fortunately, it has since been acknowledged that objects do not speak for themselves and that the provenance of objects needs to be traced, if not it can be called for “illicit trade”. But all the precious contextual information that have been lost might be hardly gotten back unless resources are made available for museums and researchers to work together and document, little by little all those voiceless artefacts. A chemical analysis could also be useful and its results could possibly be unexpected and worth it.

It seems obviously hard to think of every single object within a museum collection as a “masterpiece”, but as we worked with our object, were revealed to us its complex biography and different meanings, from its original context to its acquisition by the museum. Consequently we think that the Ogbodo Enyi deserves to be used and/or displayed emphasizing its intrinsic qualities, significances and potential, and in a way which does not endanger its physical integrity. The possibilities of use and display are multiple according to the target group, the topic of the activity, the media used and to what extend the museum wants or can let the visitors interact with it. So, our proposal is one among many others, and it must be noted that our proposal would have probably been different if ever we had been given more details about the exhibition it is soon going to be part of.

Moreover, and as soon as possible, we think that the museum should take the responsibility to get in contact with the Izi community, both to broaden the knowledge about the object and to hopefully start a cooperation work. The outcome of this collaboration is, of course, impossible to predict, however, it is their right to be aware of the presence of the mask within the museum. And, as discussed in our group, we believe that the final power of decision-making should be in the hands of the community, not in those of museum practitioners. The community is indeed, along with the conservators and curators, the one by which the cultural or conceptual integrity can be respected.

Even though we have just scratched on the surface in our very small-scale research on the Ogbodo Enyi, we have, nonetheless, managed to collect a certain deal of information that can be of value for further investigations and future research, and we do hope that the museum will take our preliminary results and comments into consideration.

Bibliography

August- September 1966, Arts de l’Afrique noire, Région du Dahomey, Bénin, Nigéria, Galerie Motte, Collection Coustère, pp. 23-24.

March 1989, Louisiana revy. 29 (3), Humlebaek, Denmark, pp. 53-66.

Blackmun Visona, M & Poynor, R, 2001, A history of art in Africa, Thames & Hudson, pp.274-337.

Clavir, M 2002 Preserving what is valued, Museums, conservation and First Nations, UBC Press.

Corr, Susan 2000. Caring for collections: a manual of preventive conservation. Dublin: Heritage Council.

Hein, G. E 2002 Learning in museums, Routledge.

Kerchache, J ; Paudrat, J-L, 1988 L’art africain, Citadelles & Mazenod, pp. 543-544

Mafundikwa, S 2007 Afrikan alphabets, The story of writing in Africa, Mark Batty Publisher.

Stocking, G 1985, “Philanthropoids and vanishing cultures, Rockefeller funding and the end of the museum era in Anglo-American Anthropology”, in Stocking, G, History of anthropology, vol. 3, Objects and Others, Essays on museums and material culture, University of Wisconsin Press, pp.112-145.

Särnstedt, B, Stenström, R & Samaltanos-Stenström, K (red.) 1988. Före Picasso: afrikansk konst i svensk ägo = Before Picasso : African art in Swedish collections. Stockholm: Liljevalchs Konsthall.

Encyclopedia Universalis 2004, articles « Le masque en Afrique » and « Ibo ».

Internet websites

http://africa.si.edu/exhibits/inscribing/scripts.html - Retrieved on February 20th 2009.

http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Conservation/default.aspx?id=636 - Retrieved on February 20th 2009.

http://www.meaco.com/preventa.htm - Retrieved on February 20th 2009.

http://www.conservationregister.com/ethnographic.asp?id=4 - Retrieved on February 20th 2009.

www.britannica.com - Retrieved February 22nd 2009.

http://umfa.dev.verite.com/?id=MTIz– Retrieved February 22nd 2009.

http://www.modernamuseet.se/v4/templates/template3.asp?lang=Eng&id=2131&bhcp=1 - Retrieved on March 2nd 2009.

www.wikipedia.com - Retrieved Mars 2nd 2009.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE7DE133DF931A25750C0A961948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all) – Retrieved on March 4th 2009.

http://www.africom.museum/ - Retrieved on March 4th 2009.

http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=35252&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html- Retrieved on March 4th 2009.

www.varldskulturmuseet.se/smvk/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=859 - Retrieved on March 4th 2009.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/ng- Retrieved on March 5th 2009.

http://unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?topic=mp&cp=NG- Retrieved on March 5th 2009.

Appendix A: Previous information about the Ogbodo Enyi at the museum

Appendix B: Pictures of the Ogbodo Enyi. February 19th, 2009. Measurements

Current condition of the mask:

Appendix C: Display proposal

Appendix D: Maps

Appendix E: Additional Information

� Because it seems that the group itself prefers that denomination, especially because it draws a line between today and the colonial times (Isichei, 1976, p. xv). See also Blackmun Visona & Poynor, 2001.

� As one of the three major tribal groups among the North-Eastern Igbo (Forde & Jones, 1950, pp. 58-60).

� The Nsibidi is considered to be a double-level language (common use, and sacred use but only by initiates) or even a three-levels one according to Robert Flarris Thomson (1984, Falsh of the Spirit: African & Afro-American art and philosophy, Vintage Books) as referenced in Mafundikwa, 2007, p. 105.

� See Mafundikwa, 2007, pp. 105-111 and Annexes C (Source Isichei, 1976, pp.35-37).

� Utah Museum of Fine Arts, African Art - Masks: � HYPERLINK "http://umfa.dev.verite.com/?id=MTIz"��http://umfa.dev.verite.com/?id=MTIz� – Retrieved February 22nd 2009.

�Ibid.

�Our own translation of the French denominations: « masque facial », « cimier » and « heaume ». See Encyclopedia Universalis 2004 « Le masque en Afrique ».

�See Encyclopaedia Universalis 2004 « Le masque en Afrique ».

�Fagg, 1980, Masques d'Afrique dans les collections du musée Barbier- Müller, in Encyclopaedia Universalis 2004 « Le masque en Afrique ».

�Blackmun Visona & Poynor, 2001, p. 336.

�CIA World Fact book 2008 from � HYPERLINK "http://www.wikipedia.com/"��www.wikipedia.com�, « Igbo ». Retrieved Mars 2nd 2009.

�Isichei, 1976, p. 3.

�« Ibgo political institutions were designed to combine popular participation with weighting for experience and ability » (Isichei, 1976, p. 21).

�See Isichei, 1976, p. 29.

�Encyclopaedia Britannica, � HYPERLINK "http://www.britannica.com/"��www.britannica.com�, « African art, Nigeria »- Retrieved February 22nd 2009.

�That binarity is very specific to that lower Nigeria region. See Encyclopaedia Britannica, � HYPERLINK "http://www.britannica.com/"��www.britannica.com�, « African art, Nigeria »- Retrieved February 22nd 2009.

�Interview with Jan Amnehäll, February 26th 2009.

�Louisiana Revy, 1989.

�Ibid.

�Stocking, 1985, p. 114.

� Interview with Jan Alemehäll, February 26th 2009.

�See Moderna Museet, About Moderna Museet - History: � HYPERLINK "http://www.modernamuseet.se/v4/templates/template3.asp?lang=Eng&id=2131&bhcp=1"��http://www.modernamuseet.se/v4/templates/template3.asp?lang=Eng&id=2131&bhcp=1� - Retrieved on March 2nd 2009.

� Särnstedt, Stenström & Samaltanos-Stenström, 1988, p. 7.

� Louisiana Revy, 1989, pp. 53-66.

�Särnstedt, 1988.

�After having submitted our conservation proposal to and discussed with Anna, it seemed like the dry cleaning was the only treatment our object was in need for. So we did the cleaning under her supervision on February 23rd 2009.

�What we considered to be a real danger for the future conservation of the mask, did not seem so for Anna. Consequently, no specific care will be taken for those two pieces.

�Corr 2000, p. 31.

� Ibid, p. 22.

� Ibid, p. 22.

� Ibid, p. 23.

� Ibid, p. 23.

� Ibid, pp. 23-25.

� Ibid, p. 27.

�Hein 2002, p. 158.

�The exhibition in which will display, among others the Obgodo Enyi, is part of our programme's next module. That means that we had to think of a display possibility that would be as neutral as possible. This proposal is, however, only a pratical excercice for us, because the real showcases which will be used in that exhibition are going to be chosen from what the museum will have available at that moment.

�See Appendix C.

� ICOMS ethical rules §4.5. (Source: � HYPERLINK "http://icom.museum/ethics.html" \l "intro"��http://icom.museum/ethics.html#intro�)

�Hein, 2002, p. 158.

�Source: phone interview with Helge Persson on February 26th 2009.

�See The New York Times, African museums fight to save art: � HYPERLINK "http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE7DE133DF931A25750C0A961948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all"��http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE7DE133DF931A25750C0A961948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all�) – Retrieved on March 4th 2009.

�To get in contact with Jan Lundberg was one of our goals to document the object. Via another art dealer, we were been able to get a telephone number, however, our attempt to reach him has been unsucessful.

�AFRICOM, International Council of African Museums: � HYPERLINK "http://www.africom.museum/"��http://www.africom.museum/� - Retrieved on March 4th 2009.

�Interview with Jan Alemehäll on February 26th 2009.

� See � HYPERLINK "http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=35252&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html"��http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=35252&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html�- Retrieved on March 4th 2009.

� Ibid.

�Ibid.

� See � HYPERLINK "http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/ng"��http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/ng�- Retrieved on March 5th 2009.

� See � HYPERLINK "http://unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?topic=mp&cp=NG"��http://unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?topic=mp&cp=NG�- Retrieved March 5th 2009.

�That group lives in Nigeria but also in Togo and Benin (Source: ibid).

� See � HYPERLINK "http://www.unesco.org/culture/inc/index.hph?cp=NG"��ww.unesco.org/culture/inc/index.hph?cp=NG�- Retrieved on March 4th 2009.

� See Museum of World Culture:� HYPERLINK "http://www.varldskulturmuseet.se/smvk/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=859"��www.varldskulturmuseet.se/smvk/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=859� - Retrieved on March 4th 2009.

� ICOM’s Ethical rules,§ 6.1-6.8. (Source: � HYPERLINK "http://icom.museum/ethics.html" \l "intro"��http://icom.museum/ethics.html#intro�)

� See Museum of World Culture: � HYPERLINK "http://www.varldskulturmuseet.se/smvk/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=863&a=12317&l=sv_SE"��http://www.varldskulturmuseet.se/smvk/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=863&a=12317&l=sv_SE� - Retrieved on March 4th 2009.

� See Museum of World Culture: � HYPERLINK "http://www.varldskulturmuseet.se/smvk/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=863&a=12322"��http://www.varldskulturmuseet.se/smvk/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=863&a=12322�- Retrieved on March 4th 2009.

� ICOM. Ethical rules,§, 4.5. (Source: � HYPERLINK "http://icom.museum/ethics.html" \l "intro"��http://icom.museum/ethics.html#intro�)

�For a further discussion about physical and conceptual intergrity in the context of conservation of objects from the Canadian First Nations, see: Clavir 2002, pp. 52-56.

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