An Ogoni Marionette Lot n° 19

Marionette Ogoni, Nigeria Mit Sockel / with base Wood. H 78 cm. Provenance: Helmut (1931-2021) and Marianne Zimmer, Zurich. Puppet figures are emblems of various characters to illustrate stories and songs. The Ogoni have inhabited the eastern edge of the Niger Delta in Nigeria for 500 years. According to legend, the ethnic group, which today numbers about 500,000 people and calls itself Kana, originates from the Gana Empire (9th-13th century in the border region of today's Mali and Mauritania). Culturally and linguistically, they are related to the neighboring Ibibio. The 6 monarchical dominions Babbe, Eleme, Gokana, Ken-Khana, Nyo-Khana and Tai know a mask system organized in secret societies (aminikpo), which serves the social, sacral and state functions. The aminikpo association also manages a series of articulated puppets (often twelve in number) with which they perform a complex puppet theater (called naabiradee) on the occasion of various festivities, in front of the assembled village community. Further reading: David, Jean (2002). Ogoni. Zurich: Galerie Walu (2002). CHF 600 / 1 200