Description
Swirling into motion, egúngún masquerade costumes appear during annual festivities to bless the community. Manifesting ancestral spirits, they serve as a bridge between the living and the otherworld. The fabric panels create a dwelling place for ancestral spirits. Arranged and selected according to Yorùbá design sense (ojú-ọnà), this mask incorporates hundreds of African, Asian, and European fabrics. These include imported damasks, velvets, faux furs, and embroideries, as well as local indigo-dyed cottons.
Provenance
Katherine C. White (?-1977); The Cleveland Museum of Art by gift (1977-)
Accession Number
1976.187
Medium
cotton, velvet, flannel, dye, faux fur, leather, cowrie shells
Dimensions
Overall: 167.6 x 66 x 40.6 cm (66 x 26 x 16 in.)
Classification
Mask
Credit Line
Gift of Katherine C. White