Object of the Month - Idoma 'flute' headdress

1st September 2025

Worn on the top of the head, this Nigerian ceremonial headdress featuring two pairs of Janus heads, was made by an Idoma carver and carries the local name Ungulali, meaning 'flute'.

These headdresses are traditionally worn during the funerals of notable individuals, agricultural festivals, public entertainments, and even Christmas plays. The name Ungulali refers to the flute music that announces the entrance of masked dancers during ceremonies. The sound of the flute is deeply woven into the rhythm and spiritual atmosphere of Idoma rituals and it serves as a sacred instrument, calling spirits, guiding the dancer’s movement, and facilitating communication with ancestors.

The Janus-faced design (featuring dual or multiple faces) symbolises the spirit’s omnipresence, or the dualities of life and death, good and evil. Often adorned with birds or studs on top, these elements may represent fertility, harvest motifs, spiritual protection, or talismans to ward off evil. Typically carved from wood, some headdresses are painted or inlaid with natural pigments such as white kaolin.

This remarkable object was owned by acclaimed British interior designer Jenny Armit, whose international career has taken her across the globe. She acquired the mask from London-based tribal art and jewellery dealer Peter Adler in the late 1970s, and has cherished it ever since—displaying it in her homes in Madrid, London, the USA, and more recently, Mexico. Over the years, the headdress has also appeared in photoshoots for internationally renowned design publications featuring Jenny’s various residences.

The headdress will appear as Lot 541 in the upcoming Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas | Antiquities sale on 17^th and 18^th September 2025 and carries a pre-sale estimate of £20,000 - £30,000 (before auction fees).