Fine Old Yuroba Gelede Mask from Nigeria

  

Fine Old Yuroba Gelede Mask from Nigeria. 13.5 inches tall x 8 inches wide x 8.5 inches deep. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners. Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use. We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings.

Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage. No spindle; cracks, scraped patina.

She measures 13.5 x 8 x 8.5 inches so she is massive. She has obvious signs of wear, small cracks (given her age), paint chipping, but overall she is still good looking! One of our late 19th or early 20th-century Gld Mask of the Yoruba ethnic group from Nigeria. Unlike most Gld masks which are adorned with satirical depictions of the day-to-day life of a woman, this piece is regal.

This helmet depicts a younger woman with a really nice hairstyle which could symbolize royalty. It is said that the royals don't carry things on their heads, so they don't mess up their hairdo.

Another side note is her facial scarification. Traditionally, the Yorubas have three scarification marks on their cheeks as a sign of their tribal identity and are considered beautiful. The ones on this artifact are not very pronounced or are stained/painted, unlike most or newer Gld masks reproduced today. It is a belief amongst African Mask experts that the style of painting three facial scarification marks on the cheek started a little more than a century ago (the same style is still used today). So, she is more than a century old!

The Gld spectacle celebrated in Nigeria and Benin. It is a public display by colorful masks that combines art and ritual dance to amuse, educate and inspire worship.

Gelede masquerade celebrates Mothers (awon iya wa), a group that includes female ancestors and deities as well as the elderly women of the community. However, this power may also be destructive and take the form of witchcraft; therefore, Gelede serves the function of appeasing this power, as well. The arts of the Yoruba are as numerous as their deities, and many objects are placed on shrines to honor the gods and the ancestors. Beautiful sculpture abounds in wood and brass and the occasional terracotta.

Varied masking traditions have resulted in a great diversity of mask forms. Additional important arts include pottery, weaving, beadwork, and metalsmithing. The item "Fine Old Yuroba Gelede Mask from Nigeria" is in sale since Saturday, October 3, 2020. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Cultures & Ethnicities\African\1900-Now\Masks". The seller is "tribalmotifs" and is located in Granger, Indiana.

This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South africa, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Chile, Colombia, Costa rica, Panama, Trinidad and tobago, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Antigua and barbuda, Aruba, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Saint kitts and nevis, Saint lucia, Montserrat, Turks and caicos islands, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei darussalam, Bolivia, Egypt, French guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macao, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Uruguay, Russian federation, Ukraine, Cayman islands.

• Tribe: Yuroba
• Handmade: Yes
• Material: Wood
• Modified Item: No
• Country/Region of Manufacture: Nigeria
• Original/Reproduction: Original
• Culture: African
• Provenance: Ownership History Not Available
• Time Period Manufactured: 1600-1900