EKET MASK

The Eket mask is an elliptical face in high relief carved in a disc. Geometric motifs are inscribed on adjacent sides of the disc.

The Eket mask is worn by the Ekpo secret society as a way of expressing deep gratitude to ancestral spirits and mother earth for bountiful harvest seasons. The mask is carved from dense hardwood.  Eket people believe there is a spiritual connection between the Great mother (abbassi) and the moon.

God among the Eket people is perceived to be a female figure. The Eket, like many of their riverine neighbours, associate prowess and supremacy with water spirits. They are found in present-day Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria.