TRIBAL AFRICAN ART IBIBO SICKNESS MASK. The Ibibio live in southern Nigeria, west of the Ibo, near the Cross River delta. The Ibibio "live in villages led by a chief elected from the most honorable heads of the important families, and Ibibio social life is regulated by three secret societies, which incorporate masks into their annual ceremonies." The most important of these societies is the Ekpo, which is responsible for the cult of the ancestors, who in turn are responsible for the welfare of the tribe.This "sickness mask" with the asymmetrical placement of the projecting mouth and a broken or angled nose, is one of many consciously developed masks intended to contrast with pretty female examples 30.5cm x 18cm