GELEDE
CAP MASK
20th Century
Yoruba Peoples, Nigeria
Wood, and pigment, 13 x 8 in.
Extended Loan Bernald Family Collection
L2003.043.037
The gelede is
a ceremony that seeks to placate the forces that can negatively affect
fertility. Rather than attempting to scare away these "evils,"
the Yoruba honor them in elaborate ceremonies with masked dancers, referring
to them as "the mothers." In this way it is believed that their
harmful effects can be kept at bay. Gelede masks are very colorful
and represent a wide variety of personnages both male and female, although
the dancers are aways men. They are worn at the top of the head, just
covering the forehead, hence the term "cap mask."