Headdress "gelede" · Nigeria, Yoruba · ID: 3044686
not available anymore
Provenance
Lucas Ratton, Paris, FranceFrench Private Collection
Size
H: 36 cm
H: 14.2 inch
Description
wood, polychrome painted, missing part, base
“Gelede” festivals are held on the arrival of the early spring rains and are performed in honour of “our mothers” - “awon iya wa”, also referred to as “our mothers, the witches - “awon iya wa aje”. They have been described as real spectacles with an enormous variety of headdresses and costumes.
Comparing literature
Lawal, Babatunde, The Gèlèdé Spectacle, Seattle, London 1996, ill. 7.52