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Nigerian Cap Mask
Nigerian Cap Mask
TitleNigerian Cap Mask
Coverage / YearNigeria; Early 20th Century
DescriptionThis wooden mask is hollow and made to set atop a dancer's head. The face has almond-shaped eyes with round holes cut through the middle; a wide, flattened nose, a closed mouth with full lips; almond-shaped scarification marks on the cheeks and forehead; and a carved line representing a beard extending from the hairline to the chin. A hat that extends upwards and back from the forehead is painted yellow with a narrow red band at the bottom.
InterpretationDancers wear this type of mask (efe) in the annual ceremonies of the Gelede Society. Although both men and women can be members of the Society, only men dance in the masquerades. The mask sits on top of the head, leaving the dancer's face uncovered; a bulky and brightly colored costume was worn with this mask. The Yorubans maintain strong connections with spiritual powers that connect them to their ancestors and provide continuity from generation to generation. The annual Gelede Society ceremony is one of the rituals that reinforce that link. Elderly women, known as "the mothers", are respected for their spiritual powers that can benefit or ruin the community. Gelede dancers appease the potentially dangerous powers of the mothers by paying tribute to them, encouraging them to foster the well-being of the community, and by ensuring human fertility and abundant crops.
Lesson Plans / ThemesAfrican Folk Tales; African Novel Study;
Learning Standards16 History; 18 Social Systems; 25-27 Fine Arts;
Author or CreatorYoruba (African people) Social life and customs; Gelede (Yoruba rite)
SourceDonated to the Lakeview Museum by Richard K. Meyer.
Subject / KeywordsAfrica; Masks; Ritual objects; Nigeria; Dancers
Collection PublisherLakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences
Further InformationFor any further information related to this record, please contact the Collection Publisher. See http://images.library.uiuc.edu/projects/tdc for more information about this project.
Rights Management Statementhttp://images.library.uiuc.edu/projects/tdc/conditions.htm
Resource IdentifierLVM1985.040.006
CONTENTdm file name56257201972002_capmask.jpg
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