Original helmet mask "gelede" with banana stalk · Nigeria / Rep. Benin, Yoruba · ID: 3046181
sold
EUR 2,200
Provenance
Allan Stone, New York, USASerge Schoffel, Brussels, Belgium
Size
H: 96 cm
H: 37.8 inch
Description
wood, remains of polychrome paint, two-part, loop-shaped ends of the turban separately carved and fixed by wooden pins, base
“Gelede” festivals are held on the arrival of the early spring rains and are performed in honour of “our mothers” - “awon iya wa”.
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, p. 232
Publications
AHDRC: 0156082