Museum Explorer
Gods and spirits
in Africa
Wooden mask
From: Nigeria (Yoruba)
Date: early 20th century AD
This is a huge wooden mask, worn by the Yoruba people during a festival called the Epa masquerade. Performers leap and dance around wearing these heavy masks to show the strength of their bodies and minds. At one point they jump to the top of a mound and if they stumble and fall it means bad luck will come to the community.
The two faces on the bottom of the mask look at two worlds - the world around them and the world of spirits. The main figure on the mask is riding a horse, and is probably a hunter or warrior.
