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Art History Animalia

For :
Headdress (Igi Gelede)
Early/mid-20th century
Yoruba, Nigeria
Wood and pigment
On display at Art Institute of Chicago
(see reply post for a similar piece at the Met)

Photo of object in its display case at museum, full front view
Photo of object in its display case at museum, quarter turn side view
Gallery label: Headdress (Igi Gelede) Early/mid-20th century Fagbite Asamu (active late 19th/mid-zoth century) or Falola Edun (active early/mid-2oth century) Yoruba Nigeria Coastal West Africa Wood and pigment Gift of Neal Ball, 2008.176 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.
Feb 19, 2023, 03:36 AM·Public·Web
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Art History Animalia

A similar piece on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York:
Yoruba artist; Ketu region, SW Nigeria or Republic of Benin
Gelede Helmet from a Masquerade Ensemble, mid-20th century, wood

Photo of object in its display case at museum, full front view
Photo of object in its display case at museum, quarter turn side view
Gallery sign: Celebrating Female Power Yoruba artist; Ketu region, southwestern Nigeria or Republic of Benin Gelede Helmet from a Masquerade Ensemble Mid-20th century Wood Gift of Paul and Ruth W. Tishman, 1990 (1990.336) Prov.: Paul and Ruth W. Tishman, New York, until 1990 Originating in Ketu in the eighteenth century, Gelede masquerades are theatrical offerings to the powers of awon iva wa (literally "our mothers") that entertain and provide social commentary. The pangolin and devouring serpents at the summit of this dynamic sculptural element are popular features of Gelede imagery given their frequent use in protective herbal remedies and charms meant to shield individuals from the antisocial forces of witchcraft. Pythons also relate to Osumere, a rainbow deity associated with fertility, regeneration, and prosperity. Snakes are simultaneously feared for their poisonous bite and admired for their spiral movements and the renewal implicit in the shedding of their skin. The crescendo of the swirling reptilian bands evokes the decorative flair of a gele, or fabric head wrap, that crowns women's fashion and is integrated into a Gelede masquerade dancer's costume ensemble.
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