West Africa, Nigeria, Yoruba, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A wooden helmet mask, hand-carved from a single piece of wood, with an expressive countenance and vibrant pigments, which may have been worn during the Gelede masquerade, a celebration to honor and pay respects to women. The flared neck collar rim has pierced holes in order to sew this head to a raffia or textile costume. The small size indicates that this is meant to be worn atop the head rather than over the wearer's face. The visage displays facial scarification marks adorning the cheeks and forehead, and the hair is fashioned into an elaborate coiffure. Yoruba hairstyles held significant meaning and served as a vital form of communication about the individual. artists meticulously incorporated diverse hairstyles into masks and sculptures to further convey a message or idea. Size: 8" L x 8" W x 9.5" H (20.3 cm x 20.3 cm x 24.1 cm); 13" H (33 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; deaccessioned from the Boca Raton Museum of Art

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#184360

Old losses to the neck as shown. Chips and surface nicks to the rest, but otherwise good preservation to the face and pigments. Stable pressure fissures in the wood.