On view
Gẹ̀lẹ̀dẹ́ headdress,
19th century
Gẹ̀lẹ̀dẹ́ performances celebrate the mystical powers of women. This mask of an Ànàgó-Yorùbá woman—her elegant coiffure, beautifying lip plug, and facial marks of distinction—is but one element of a deeply moving, multisensory event filled with vivid, flowing costumes, vigorous dance moves, the sharp sounds of leg rattles, pulsing rhythms of drums, shouts and cheers of the audience, the gritty taste of dust kicked up by the crowd and performers, and the aroma of marketplace foods. See, hear, and imagine what you are missing.
Henry John Drewal, Evjue-Bascom Professor Emeritus in African and African Diaspora Arts, Departments of Art History and African-American Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison
More Context
Handbook Entry
The Yoruba believe that women possess the rare ability to effect good or evil. <em>Gelede</em> are the sculptural expression of this conviction. The power of "mothers," a collective term referring to elderly women and female ancestors and deities, influences the fertility of fields and families in a positive way. Yet "mothers" can also be destructive, causing barrenness, disease, or other misfortune. Danced in pairs by men dressed as women, <em>gelede</em> endeavor to honor, amuse, and appease all "mothers" — an annual effort to renew the well-being of the community. <em>Gelede</em>, distinguished by their idealized human faces, are worn angled on the head. Their round open eyes were not used for seeing, but serve to give the work a realistic appearance. This artist chose to portray the finely plaited hairstyle of a spiritual person or priestess, evoking the sculptural quality of the hair. A rare women’s lip plug, a mark of prestige, suggests an early creation date.
More About This Object
Information
19th century
Africa, Nigeria
