The Yoruba have a particularly rich tradition of
mask making. Masks were and still are used in
many elaborate celebrations held by different
societies, each with its own specific function and
purpose. One of the most interesting is the male
association of the gelede, which practices a
fecundity- fertility cult ensuring its members
prosperity and health by means of ritual dances,
carried out according to wishes of ancestors.
Women are especially honored in these
ceremonies, being respected and admired for
their ability to produce life. The men wear a
helmet mask, and appear in pairs of 40-50
dancers, all with masks of different shapes and
specific names. Each pair performs alone
imitating the gait of certain animals or the flight
of birds.
The intensity of feeling occasioned by these
wonderful dances is immediately seen in this
potent and powerful mask. His gaze is
penetrating, his teeth exposed to reveal a row of
brilliant white teeth. The horns may represent
those of an animal, gazelle or antelope, or added
to give greater authority to the entire mask. The
mask has a remarkable texture, the wood almost
seems pliable, like flesh in which the grooves of
ritual scarification are deeply embedded, along
with three sets of initials. When studied the
expression on the face changes character, from
fierceness to curiosity to exuberant laughter, all
changing and evolving quickly as the movements
of the dancers. These attributes of emotion
would have been heightened during the actual
dance. It is thrilling to imagine fifty athletic men
performing fantastic dances; twirling, gyrating,
jumping and leaping to the sound of pounding
music, and the women who watched them with
pride and mounting excitement.
- (PF.3946)
|
