About this artwork
This helmet imitates a hairstyle popular among Yoruba girls and young women, agogo, defined by tight braids along the sides of the head and a rising symmetrical crest at the center. Male and female priests occasionally wear the hairstyle, and it has also been incorporated into headdresses such as this one, for performances celebrating a specific orisa (deity), such as Sango, associated with thunderstorms and social justice, or during festivals centered around female elders, Gelede, or the ancestors, Egungun.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Arts of Africa
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Culture
- Yoruba
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Title
- Headdress (Egungun or Gelede)
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Place
- Nigeria (Object made in)
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Date
- 1901–1999
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Medium
- Wood and pigment
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Dimensions
- 22.9 × 16.5 × 20.3 cm (9 × 6 1/2 × 8 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Donald Young and Shirley Weese Young
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Reference Number
- 2015.304
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.