IGALA FIGURES

Igala male and female standing figures. 

Both figures share distinctive characteristics, including mid-crested hairstyles, flattened faces with raised features, and long limbs adorned with geometric patterns etched into the torso.

The Igala community takes part in significant ceremonies celebrating the authority of their king. During these annual festivities, a unique type of royal helmet mask known as “Agba” emerges. These masks exhibit typical facial scarifications and slanted eyes, symbolizing their royal status.

Non-royal helmet masks, on the other hand, bear linear scarifications. They play a vital role in festivals associated with the Egu cult, which honors the spirits of the deceased, and the Yam festival, a time when Igala ancestors are remembered

The Igala kingdom also spelled as Igara, was a pre-colonial state at the eastern region of the confluence of River Niger and River Benue in present-day Kogi State, Nigeria.  The kingdom is headquartered in Idah, a town in Kogi State.