This unusually ornate mask was made by the Yoruba.
It is highly ornate, especially with regard to the
coiffure, which is arranged in a series of incised and
separated high-relief crests with a pendulous,
crested queue descending to the face’s left side. The
face is exceptionally well-modelled, with rounded
contours and delicate detailing. The cheeks and
forehead are marked with the traditional triple
incision denoting keloid scarifications. The facial
features are all carved rather than painted, with the
exception of the pupils, which are marked in dark
paint. The ears are bilobate and pierced to receive
earrings. The “skin” is silvery beige in colour, with
details low-lighted in black. The base retains several
nails and nail holes which mark out there original
position of the cloth costume which was worn with
the piece.
Egungun (lit. “power concealed") is the spiritual
embodiment of the Yoruba groups’ ancestors, which
are honoured in masquerade ceremonies (Odun
Egungun) at which masks such as this are worn. The
performers enter trances and are possessed by
ancestral spirits, which motivates their dancing. The
aim of the ceremonies is to maintain the moral
standards of previous generations: the dancers
spiritually cleanse the community by lampooning
morally questionable behaviour known to have been
perpetrated by members of the audience. The masks
are worn atop the heads of the performers, and with
elaborate costumes which conceal the dancers’
identities, ensuring their safety from potential
retribution. The tradition has a long history and
seems to have grown out of the Oyo Yoruba’s
appropriation of a masking tradition originally
pertaining to the Nupe, which was then amended
somewhat to emphasise its ancestor worship
aspects.
The Yoruba are a Central Nigerian tribal group,
originally descended from a Hausa migration from
the northeast in about 900 AD. A small kingdom – Ile
Ife – was founded by Oduduwa, followed by great
sociopolitical expansion into Southwest Nigeria,
Benin, and Togo. The influence of the city was felt far
beyond these boundaries, however, and many
smaller political entities were held under its sway.
Communities were presided over by the Oba (king)
and various senates (Ogboni), and councils made up
of guild leaders, merchants and the lesser aristocracy
(related to the Oba). The Yoruba have an
exceptionally rich and diverse mythology, history and
religious context, all of which are directly linked to
their artistic output. In Yoruba society, this grouped
heritage is known as the Itan, of which this striking
mask is a part.
There are numerous variants of Egungun masks, all
of which generally refer to the Yoruba people but also
to subdivisions of the tribe, as well as village history,
family history and even personal history of the carver.
This is a striking and powerful piece of Yoruba art.
