Mask "gelede" · Nigeria, Yoruba · ID: 3032399
sold
EUR 900
Size
H: 33,5 cm
H: 13.2 inch
Description
wood, black paint, white pigment, curious coiffure: a half-shaved head with a thick horn-shaped lobe on the parting, slightly dam., minor missing parts, rep. (metal clamps);
representing a royal messenger “ilari”, who can be identified by the half-shaven head. “Ilari” were eunuch slaves of the king of Oyo and acted not only as messengers but also as bodyguards, administrators and tax collectors.
Comparing literature
Witte, Hans, A Closer Look, Berg en Dal 2004, p. 14