Mask "gelede" · Nigeria, Yoruba · ID: 3035467
Hugo Wetli, Bern, Switzerland (1973)
Swiss Private Collection
Description
light wood, small remains of kaolin and indigo blue pigment, helmet-shaped, characteristic facial features with rich scarification marks, a head tie floats around the head with a protea blossom rising in the middle, min. dam., missing parts through isnect caused damage (lower rim, blossom), cracks, paint rubbed off;
reminding of female food hawkers, which is one of the most popular themes on “gelede” headdresses. Aside of the traditional headdress they used to wear bananas, palmnuts etc. on their head.
The object Mask “gelede” with the object ID 3035467 was last part of the auction 74th tribal art auction at September 7, 2013 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 94 achieved a sales price of EUR 600.
You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.
Comparing literature
Lawal, Babatunde, The Gèlèdé Spectacle, Seattle, London 1996, p. 210