Item Description: A carved wooden headdress/helmet mask with a superstructure reflecting a fowl standing in a pen-like container. The face has traditional Yoruba markings.

Cultural Profile: At one time the Yoruba occupied the area as far west as Togo. Today the Yoruba inhabit southwestern Nigeria and parts of the Republic of Benin. The traditional art of the Yoruba was concerned with the harmonious balance between man and the universe. This mask is used in Yoruba Gelede Society performances. The Gelede women’s association sponsors annual events in which they celebrate and have an opportunity to pass on messages, some of which may be “truth and telling situations of personal, social, and political issues directed to men." Performances are danced in pairs with many participants resembling women, although all dancers are male.