Mask "epa" ·  Nigeria, Yoruba · ID: 3052905

Description

wood, pigments,

For objects of the same workshop see AHDRC 0109954 and 0181814.

Among the Ekiti and Igbomina in northeastern Yorubaland, multi-day masquerade festivals are still held today on an annual or biennial cycle, known as “epa” in the north and “elofon” in the south. The tall, heavy helmet masks are worn by young men who move slowly and with controlled precision; a key moment is the leap onto an elevated mound, and if the mask falls from the performer’s head it is regarded as a bad omen.

Through motifs, dance, and song, these performances keep the memory of historical events alive and reaffirm social values, thereby safeguarding communal stability and well-being. The masks belong to local kinship groups (“idile”); their base (“ikoko”) is standardized as a janus-faced helmet with stereotyped, geometrizing features, while the figural superstructure above allows greater artistic freedom.

Comparing literature

Eisenhofer, Stefan (Hg.), Kulte, Künstler, Könige in Afrika, Linz 1997, p. 242 ff.