Gelede mask of the Yoruba culture, mid XX century.

Gelede mask of the Yoruba culture, mid-twentieth century.
Carved and polychrome wood.
Height: 24 cm (without base).
The Yoruba are an ethno-linguistic group that constitutes approximately 30% of the population of Nigeria, although there are also populations in Benin and Togo and even in America, in Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, North Carolina, Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Mexico, Venezuela and Panama. They have a religious system that has spread throughout the Yoruba diaspora, known as the Osha-Ifa Rule, which includes numerous myths, songs, stories and other cultural concepts. The Yoruba deities are called Orishas, literally "masters of the head," with Shango being perhaps the best known, god of thunder and ancestor of the Yoruba people themselves.
The mask presented here was used during a Gelede ceremony, a rite declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2008. The masks were an indispensable element for the development of the Gelede ceremony. Thus, through Yoruba songs, drum music and, of course, masks like the one presented here, the inhabitants of Yoruba villages danced and invoked their gods, who were represented by these masks. Sometimes the masks represented animal figures, such as the snake (symbol of power, patience and vigilance) or the bird (symbol of the witches' evil nocturnal powers).
The mask presented here follows the basic guidelines of the Gelede masks. Thus, it is a piece with almond-shaped eyes, schematic ears, with four large scarifications (three horizontal and one vertical) on each cheek, and a small vertical one on the forehead. It has great detail in its elaboration, to the point that her hairstyle is shown with a handkerchief and a brooch in its center. Made of polychrome wood, the wearers of the geledé masks complement their ceremonial attire with fabrics, clothing and ornaments that increase the magnificence and showiness of this type of sensational ceremonies.