Description

This elaborate Yoruba mask is carved of wood, and utilizes black and red paint. The main feature of the mask is a large head with almond-shaped eyes, naturalistic nose and lips, and a black and red fabric underneath the head. The head appears to be male, as can be inferred from the small rectangular moustache. The headdress consists of a standing nude male who appears to be wielding two coiled snakes. Snakes are a very common animal in the dense rainforests where the Yoruba people live, and thus are regularly used as motifs. Despite their dangerousness in real life, within Yoruba iconography, snakes have positive implications and are often associated with economic prosperity, transformation, and longevity. This mask is similar in style to two others in this collection: 924.9.10 and 924.9.43. Identical color patterns and facial features are present in all pieces, but they differ in their unique portrayal of different figures and/or motifs atop the head. Although not nearly identical, the similarity in style allows us to infer that they might originate from the same artist or workshop.