Object Details
- Yoruba artist
- Label Text
- Gelede is a masquerade to honor and placate the "mothers," incarnate forces of thwarted fertility and spiritual power who are less diplomatically referred to as witches. Although men, appearing in pairs, dance these masks, many gelede masks depict women. Some are satiric or genre characters. Others have elaborate superstructures with figures of devotees, animals, exaggerated head ties (a woman's head covering) or even palm trees. This mask depicts an Islamic man, a Hausa from northern Nigeria; his beard and turban identify him. However, the superstructure depicts traditional devotees in the form of kneeling nude women. They hold pythons, suggesting an association with river gods or wealth. The bird in the center commonly represents a spiritual messenger.
- Gelede masks are worn like caps and tilted at a 45-degree angle on the forehead. The sculptor takes this angle into account when carving the mask. Typically gelede masks are polychromed.
- Description
- Wood cap mask depicting a man with a beard and turban. The superstructure depicts two kneeling nude women holding pythons flanking a central bird. Overall red pigment with accents of blue and white.
- Provenance
- Dr. and Mrs. Albert E. Henn, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, -- to 1971
- Content Statement
- As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
- Image Requests
- High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
- Credit Line
- Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Albert E. Henn
- Mid-20th century
- Object number
- 71-31-1
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- Mask
- Medium
- Wood, pigment
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 31.7 x 28.2 x 43.8 cm (12 1/2 x 11 1/8 x 17 1/4 in.)
- Geography
- Nigeria
- See more items in
- National Museum of African Art Collection
- Object Name
- gelede
- National Museum of African Art
- Topic
- bird
- snake
- Male use
- male
- female
- Record ID
- nmafa_71-31-1
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys78a571122-8bdb-457c-ad45-96fc4f2b0ef9
