“The Igala people live near the end of the Niger River. Every year they participate in important ceremonies celebrating the power of their king. During these festivities, nine types of royal helmet mask, called Agba, appear. They display typical facial scarifications and slanted eyes.

Non royal helmet masks are covered with linear scarifications and are used during festivals related to the Egu cult, which celebrate the spirit of the dead, and during the Yam festival when Igala ancestors are evoked. Headdresses and statues carved in the Akpa area show a typical flattened face with two oblique scarifications on each cheek topped by a crested coiffure.”

Source:
Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998. Print.