“Three hundred for each” said the market seller, a woman in her mid-thirties, as she priced a middle-sized, decorative accent bell. “Nooo! I don't have that kind of money!” Chief Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa calmly yet sternly retorted. He followed up: “I will give 50 for each.” The woman cautiously studied the chief. She said, “No,” explaining that she “use to sell them for 200 each.” Chief Bassey Nsa let out another animated, “Nooo, if I buy, I will not feed again—my money will finish-ooo!” A chorus of robust laughter rang out from those in earshot. The woman even let out a chuckle herself; she said with a wide grin, “Brother go [leave].” The veteran haggler now had her right where he wanted. The chief responded softly, “No, you need to sell them to me before I go, for 100 each.” “Brother buy,” she said, finally giving in with a smirk on her face. Chief Bassey Nsa thanked her, paid, and off we went to the next stop in his hunt for materials for a cloth Ebonko ensemble.

I witnessed countless transactions not unlike this one throughout my time working with master artist Chief Bassey Nsa. Nigeria's local markets, as well as many in Africa, are renowned for haggling since very few prices are fixed. The market is a space riddled with informal economies mixed with personalities that seethe with frustration or beam with the satisfaction of a good deal. Performative charismas fill every nook and cranny of an African market. Transactions themselves are not unlike performances that swirl with vibrant, confrontational energies roused between buyer and seller. A keen sense of humor and economic acumen mixed with ardent bargaining always accompanied Chief Bassey Nsa when shopping for materials before starting each and every masquerade ensemble. Performative events not unlike the chieftaincy spectacle discussed in the previous chapter, similar to how masquerade ensembles are created, are brought to life from the transactions that bring together market forces and the expressive currencies individuals create to enliven them.

In shifting from the spatial aspects to the economic, this chapter, and the following two, demonstrate that economics saturate all aspects of masquerade activity.