Fagbite Asamu (active late 19th/mid-20th century) or Falola Edun (active early/mid-20th century)
Yoruba
Nigeria
Coastal West Africa
Headdress (Igi Gelede)
INV-1208
Fagbite Asamu (active late 19th/mid-20th century) or Falola Edun (active early/mid-20th century)
Yoruba
Nigeria
Coastal West AfricaMid- to late 20th century
Headdress (Igi Gelede)
Fagbite Asamu (active late 19th/mid-20th century) or Falola Edun (active early/mid-20th century) Yoruba Nigeria Coastal West Africa →yorubaArts of Africaafrican ArtCoastal West Africamaskswood
Date
Mid- to late 20th century
Medium
Wood and pigment
Dimensions
44.5 × 44.5 × 47 cm (17 1/2 × 17 1/2 × 18 1/2 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of Neal Ball
This dynamic mask of the gelede type depicts two hunters wrestling with a pangolin (or scaly anteater), representing the struggle between civilization and nature, human intelligence and animal force. The figures are shown grabbing the mammal by its back legs but also seem to be losing their balance and giving the pangolin a chance to escape. The dramatic tension of this mask’s upper section presents a sharp contrast to the serene human face below.
Also notable
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