Yoruba Masks
The Yoruba Tribe’s
Culture
The Yoruba’s are located in the
southwestern part of Nigeria. Their
culture focuses a lot of music and
dance. They are one of the oldest
cultures in Africa, so they see their
culture as very important. Although
some of the rituals performed with
the masks aren’t as popular today,
they still hold a great appreciation
for the history of their mask rituals.
Making of the masks
Materials used to create these masks include brass,
wood, and terracotta. They then are decorated with
paint, cowrie shells, colored glass, nails, plant fibers,
horns and metal pieces. Their religious and cultural
practices play a large role in their mask-making
process. Spirituality is a core aspect of the masks.
During the creation of the mask, the artists must
purify himself, and offer prayer to the ancestors asking
for guidance while making the mask. The mask is then
believed to be inhabited by the divine forces. The tree
that is used to create the mask will be cut down and
left to rest so the spirit within the tree can leave and
find a new home. After the tree rests the artist can take
the wood home and begin to carve, however, if it
cracks during the time of carving the wood cannot be
used.
Uses of Yoruba’s
masks
Their functions range
from ceremonies,
rituals, initiations,
celebrations, war
preparations, and crop
harvesting. There are
rituals performed
while wearing the
masks that help the
Yoruba people
communicate with
their ancestors. Their
ancestors are said to
have influence and
power on earth.
Egungun Masks
 After reading the section about this
mask tradition and observing these masks,
answer the following questions with
complete sentances
Structural Frame
How do you think these masks visually reflect the
characteristics of male Yoruba ancestors?
List two similarities and two differences of these
masks:
Cultural Frame
Egungun is a Yoruba mask making
tradition associated with male
ancestor lineage. These masks are
created in different styles and have a
specific name, but do not refer to
specific ancestors. The community
celebrates the distinguished ancestors
with a festival that also serves as a
time for renewal in the community.
These masks have a function within the culture.
Can you think of an example of an art form that
represents characteristics of a group in your
culture?
More Yoruba
Masks
Gelede Masks
Epa Masks
The bottom of the mask is
representative of ancestors while the
more ornate top of the headdress
honors deities and cultural heroes
such as mothers with children,
warriors/hunters, animals and rulers.
The Gelede masks are worn by men
in intricate masquerade rituals
between the months of March and
May. This tradition takes place at
the beginning of the agricultural
season and it is honoring of women’s
power. The bottom of this mask is a
woman’s face and on the top are
snakes and birds. There is not a
consensus on the meaning of these
masks, but some people have the idea
that the birds represent a nurturing
mother figure and the snakes
represent a figure of power. An
alternative meaning behind the snake
and the bird, is the idea of struggling
forces or a strained relationship
caused by an act of injustice in their
culture. Some of the people of this
culture understand that this is a
metaphor for potential crisis or
trouble can be alleviated by prudence
to their rituals, promoting peace.
Thinking about this mask….
Based on what you read about different
Yoruba masks, what kind of mask is this?
List six adjectives to describe this artwork:
Final Summary
In your culture or family heritage, what
kinds of objects have symbolic meaning?
Are these worn? Are they displayed?
Using theses adjectives, write a paragraph
to describe the artwork to somebody as if
they are not looking at it.
Vocabulary:
Ancestors:
A person who serves as an influence or model for another; one from whom mental, artisti
c, spiritual, etc., descent is claimed
Tradition:
The handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from gener
ation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice
Culture:
The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group
Ritual:
The performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by tradition or by sacerdotal decree.
A specific,observable mode of behavior exhibited by all known societies. It is thus
possible to view ritual as a way of defining or describing humans.
Metaphor:
a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not
literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance.
References for Further Research:
http://www.hamillgallery.com/YORUBA/Yoruba.html
http://www.metmuseum.org/
http://www.forafricanart.com/Yoruba_ep_35-1.html