Helmet mask "gelede"
Click here to view a larger version of the imageLot: 170
92nd Tribal Art AuctionHelmet mask "gelede"
Benin / Nigeria, Ketu, Yoruba
Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
---|---|---|
Robert Duperrier, Paris, France (1984) Jan Lundberg, Malmö, Sweden (1986) |
H: 15 inch | This object is not available anymore. |
wood, pigment remains, carved with european hat and two sheathed knives
Masks like this are worn by men in elaborate masquerade performances known as "gelede." They have been described as real spectacles with an enormous variety of headdresses and costumes. They take place every year between march and may at the beginning of the new planting season.
Lawal, Babatunde, The Gèlèdé Spectacle, Seattle, London 1996, p. 202, ill. 7.13