dark brown face with very large bulging eyes with small pupils; protruding teeth; red lips; large protruding ears; vertical element at top center of head; blue and white crescents on cheeks; hair with zigzag edges

"Igbudu" mask, 1900-1950

Yorubaexpand_more

Wood, pigments, metalexpand_more

Gift of funds from Rebecca and Ben Fieldexpand_more  2019.45

On View in Gallery 250expand_more

If you think that the face of this Igbudu mask looks ugly, you’re not alone. Its Yoruba users in Nigeria have an expression to describe an especially homely person: “O l’oju bi oju ‘gbudu”—"His eyes are like the eyes of Igbudu.” The mask, with its dirty face and misshapen features, is compared to Eshu, the Yoruba god of chaos, and the dancer who wears it on top of his head carries a stick to strike out against onlookers. The ceremony in which Igbudu performs is an important one: called Egungun, and celebrated once a year in every Yoruba community, it remembers and honors the ancestors.

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Details
Title
"Igbudu" mask
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2019.45
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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dark brown face with very large bulging eyes with small pupils; protruding teeth; red lips; large protruding ears; vertical element at top center of head; blue and white crescents on cheeks; hair with zigzag edges

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