Object Details
- Yoruba artist
- Oniyide Adugbologe, ca. 1875-1949, Nigeria
- Label Text
- Egungun masks honor the ancestors, soliciting their support of their descendants. Wood crest masks with the large ears and buck teeth of the hare are a type of egungun that is most associated with the Abeokuta Yoruba. The hare is an animal associated with the night, the time linked with potentially harmful spirits and dangers. Details of the mask --the drum, the gourd medicine containers depicted along the hairline -- suggest the summoning of protective powers.
- Description
- Painted wood crest mask, bearded face with large rabbit ears, gourds on hairline. Hare figure on reverse between ears, bata drum on front paws.
- Provenance
- Rod and Nancy E. MacDonald, acquired 1967/71 to 2015
- 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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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 in memory of Nancy E. MacDonald
- Early to mid-20th century
- Object number
- 2015-7-3
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- Mask
- Medium
- Wood, pigment
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 37.5 × 25 × 35 cm (14 3/4 × 9 13/16 × 13 3/4 in.)
- Geography
- Abeokuta, Nigeria
- See more items in
- National Museum of African Art Collection
- Object Name
- egungun
- National Museum of African Art
- Topic
- Ancestral
- musical instrument
- rabbit
- Male use
- male
- Record ID
- nmafa_2015-7-3
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7508a2b12-6025-485f-9c95-73e22dba9a3d
