Eastern Nigerian art from the Toby and Barry Hecht collection

African Arts, Spring, 2002 by Roy Sieber, Barry Hecht

Sometimes a passion for collecting springs from mundane circumstance. For Toby and Barry Hecht, it began as a matter of interior decorating: after moving into a new house about eighteen years ago, a friend suggested that an African mask might go well with their contemporary furnishings. As Barry Hecht tells it, "We visited two galleries in New York and bought a few pieces that turned out to be reproductions. However, my interest was kindled, and I started visiting exhibitions at the Museum of African Art on Capitol Hill (which later became the National Museum of African Art). Every few years the museum would offer a course to be a docent. I took it, and I stayed on for ten years. I now serve on its board and on the Acquisitions Committee at the Baltimore Museum of Art."

At first the Hechts collected African art from across the continent. Later they focused on northern and eastern Nigeria, including the Benue River Valley, the Niger Delta, the Cross River, and the Nigeria-Cameroon border area. The decision to specialize was influenced by the 1985 exhibition "Igbo Arts: Community and Cosmos" and exposure to the William Arnett collection, presented in "Three Rivers of Nigeria" (1978). Besides, Barry Hecht says, "I reasoned that I could acquire higher-quality material and learn more if I concentrated on one area. Since there are a large number of ethnic groups with a variety of styles in this region, I did not feel limited in any way."

Hecht is an exceptional collector in the balanced attention he gives to the aesthetic and the scholarly: the place, time, and function of an object as well as its provenance. As a result he has amassed an extensive, indeed outstanding, library--well used, nearly memorized, and a constant source of delight, second only to the works of art. He stresses patience and scholarly preparation in collecting, which includes visits to museums and reputable galleries. "I've set up a filing system so that I can easily retrieve a number of examples of a particular type of object I am considering for purchase. It consists of photos and references to journals and auction catalogues. Illustrations in Ph.D. theses are underutilized resources. I sometimes contact scholars to share with them material I have seen and to get their input about the origin and use of an object. To me, the pleasure of collecting and writing about African art derives from the aesthetics of the objects, learning about their origin and use, and making a contribution to the art history of eastern Nigeria."

The following examples represent about one-third of the collection. The captions, written by Hecht, include his notes and references on style and origin together with published references to similar examples.

Mangam mask. Kaleri, Nigeria. Wood; 63.5cm (25").

These masks are associated with the cult called Mangam and with promoting an abundant crop (Rubin 1969; 110-13). Although often ascribed to the Mama (or Kantana), they are also used by nearby groups such as the Rindri, Kaleri, Bu, and Chesu. A number were photographed in the field by K.C. Murray in the early `50s, and others by Christian Duponcheel in 1965 (personal communication, 1993). A few Kaleri masks collected by O. Temple in 1910 are now in the Liverpool Museum. A rare photograph of a dancer wearing a mask and costume was published in 1955 (Fievet 1955: figs. 11, 47).

Temple makes brief reference to the religious festivals: "On these occasions two men don carved wooden masks, with long horns, in representation of some animal, and fringes of dried grass depending therefrom effectually conceal the countenance of the wearer, who is thought to represent some person or thing long since dead" (Temple 1919:268-69). According to Duponcheel (personal communication, 1993) these masks represent not a bush cow, as is often thought, but Ubawaru, a mythical ancestor who gives knowledge to the people. Elsy Leuzinger (1977:210) also refers to the masks of the Mama being used in the Kambon mask play of the "Udawaru" society, and worn for funerals and sacrificial cults. Other masks in this style have been illustrated in the literature (Leuzinger 1977:221; Eyo 1977:224; Sieber & Walker 1999:96).

Oglinye mask. Idoma, Nigeria. Wood, fiber; 27.3cm (10.75). According to Sidney Kasfir, the Oglinye masquerade entered the Idoma area with the Akweya and Igede, two groups who had prior contact with Ogoja, an area located between Igede and the Middle Cross River (Kasfir 1988:85-108). It is performed on the last day of a cycle marking the second burial of a deceased member of the Oglinye society. This crest mask represents a woman and is worn with a white mesh suit, which extends over the head of the masquerader. Initially Oglinye came into Idomaland as a headhunter's dance, but it later lost this function. Today an institution for social control, it still relates to male aggression as it is manifested through the emergence of manhood and the values of a warrior.

A frequently illustrated field photo of an Oglinye crest was taken by Roy Sieber in 1958. This mask was attributed to Ochai, the most revered Idoma carver of the twentieth century (Sieber 1961:8). Other examples have been illustrated by Kasfir (1979: figs. 115, 117, 118).