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Background information
Made by: : Unknown carver Masks like this are worn by men in elaborate masquerade performances known as Gelede. This takes place each year between March and May, at the beginning of a new agricultural season. The purpose of the performance is to pay tribute to the special power of women, both elders and ancestors, who are known affectionately as 'our mothers'. Women can use a spiritual life force ase which can be creative or destructive. When these powers are used destructively, women are called aje (witch), and if angered are believed to be able to destroy individuals or entire communities. The masquerade provides an opportunity for 'our mothers' to be placated or pampered in order that they do not use their destructive powers against the Yoruba people and to encourage rain and fertile soil. The masks are worn at an angle on the top of the head, with pairs of men wearing similar masks. The masquerade has an elaborate and bulky costume emphasising the breasts and buttocks of the woman it represents, and the fatness desired of a beautiful and graceful woman. The identity of the wearer is not secret; he can be seen through the transparent cloth worn over the face and he can unmask in public. The name of the dancer may be given in the song which accompanies his act, making him the subject of praise or criticism depending on the skill and rhythm of his performance. The strictly choreographed dance is accompanied by drumming and singing, which is very important to the performance. The harmony and balance demonstrated by good dancers is a metaphor for social perfection where everyone helps one another, shares their wealth and talents and enjoys the life they have been given. The motifs on top of Gelede masks vary widely and can represent social roles, animals, fashions or more foreign elements. In the Museum there are a range of Gelede masks with a wide variety of motifs. Animals represent gods and make reference to proverbs. Gelede is only performed in the south western area of Yorubaland (which is comprised of south western Nigera and the south east of the neighbouring Benin Republic). In the past much of this area was thick forest but today much of the forest has gone with the growth of towns, cities and roads. The Yoruba speaking peoples have extremely rich artistic traditions covering a wide range of visual and performance arts. They are particularly well known for their prolific woodcarving traditions. The term Yoruba refers to a series of related but not mutually understood dialects spoken by people who, in the pre-colonial period, were grouped into some fifty or more kingdoms that were based on an urban lifestyle. These kingdoms were never united except in the sense that their kings all claimed descent from a god who climbed down from the sky to make the world. The use of the word Yoruba to describe these diverse groupings is a development of the colonial period. British and other Europeans forcibly took millions of the Yoruba peoples as slaves to the New World where they have formed a strong cultural presence. It was difficult for the enslaved Yoruba to preserve their traditions because of the oppressive and deliberately divisive way they were treated. However they, and other Africans, drew on their past experiences and incorporated elements from the society in which they had been forced to live to establish new religions. Aspects of Yoruba beliefs were incorporated into Haitian vodou (see Vodou shrine) and Caribbean carnival (see Midnight Robbers headdress). |