YORUBA, NIGERIA
WOOD, PIGMENT HEIGHT 50CM

The word Egungun means masquerade. These masks were used to honour the ancestors throughout the Yoruba region. The masks generally look like a man with rabbit’s ears, the ears are reflected in the name ELETI headdress, meaning “ONE WHO HAS EARS”. A  GANGAN talking drum is placed between the ears and the figure of a warrior or sometimes an animal is placed at the back. This mask was originally collected during the 1960’s.