Gelede Mask
Yoruba
Description
Subject Matter:
This mask or headdress, called igi Gelede in the Yoruba language, would have been a part of Gelede, a festival in western Yoruba communities that celebrated the power of women. The performances of Gelede masquerades not only entertained, but also honored the spiritual power of women in the community, known as awon iwa ya or "our mothers". Gelede masks feature many different images or scenes, as all of society falls under the influence of women; "our mothers" were also "the owners of the world". Yet this mask or headdress is simple; the head or ori is the focal point, as the inner head (ori inu) houses a person's ase or life force. As Gelede masks or headdresses sometimes depicted a specific individual, the facial marks may indicate the region that person came from.
References Cited:
Drewal, Henry John, John Pemberton and Rowland O. Abiodun. 1989. Yoruba: Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought. New York: Center for African Art.
Physical Description:
Carved wood mask in the form of a human head. The head is bald, there are three black horizontal marks on each cheek, and three black vertical marks on the forehead. The pupils are pierced and the bottom of the mask has a raised lip. The inside top of the mask is filled with sand.
Usage Rights:
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