Untitled

Sculpture

-

DePaul Art Museum

Name/Title

Untitled

Entry/Object ID

2001.175

Description

Mask

Artwork Details

Medium

Wood, pigment

Context

"Our mothers" is what the Yoruba refer to elderly women of their society as. The elderly women of society were known to control ase, which can be defined as spiritual power or force that is within everything. This gelede mask from the Yoruba culture indigenous to Nigeria is a part of masquerade that was performed by men to uplift and commemorate the women in the community. These masquerades honored women alive and dead. The mask's features include scarification marks on the face of the woman. These marks done as a rites of passage for women in some tribes. The scarification represents the passage of life of a women and is also thought to enhance the beauty of the natural body.

Acquisition

Notes

Collection of DePaul University, gift of the May Weber Foundation

Made/Created

Artist

Unknown artist

Notes

Creation Date: no date

Ethnography

Notes

Yoruba Nigeria, Africa Africa, Nigeria

Lexicon

Getty AAT

Concept

Yoruba (culture or style), Southern Nigerian styles, West African (general), African (general, continental cultures), ceremonial masks, masks (costume), costume (mode of fashion), scarification (process), body modification

Hierarchy Name

Styles and Periods (hierarchy name), Costume (hierarchy name), Furnishings and Equipment (hierarchy name), Processes and Techniques (hierarchy name)

Facet

Styles and Periods Facet, Objects Facet, Activities Facet

Dimensions

Width

20.32 cm

Depth

16.51 cm

Length

34.29 cm

Dimension Description

overall

Width

8 in

Depth

6-1/2 in

Length

13-1/2 in