Leopard masker, Cross River area, Nigeria, 1983.
Photograph courtesy of Herbert M. Cole.

Leopard characters appear frequently in West African masquerades. This leopard or Nwagu masker is part of the Ekeleke masquerade, which lasts for over one week in the southwestern Igbo communities. In opposition to some of the more serious masquerades, Ekeleke is a lively spectacle with finely choreographed dances.

© San Francisco Airport Museums
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