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Headdress (Ago Egungun)

A work made of wood and pigment.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of wood and pigment.

Date:

Mid–late 19th century

Artist:

Ojerinde (died about 1914)
Yoruba
Abeokuta, Nigeria
Coastal West Africa

About this artwork

Egungun, a widespread Yoruba masquerade, is staged to honor the ancestors and the newly deceased, who continue to influence the lives of their kin. Organized at funerals, on family occasions, and during annual or biennial festivals, the different types of egungun are each associated with a distinctive cloth costume, some of which include a wooden mask or headdress. The tufted hairstyle of this example mimics the flap of a hunter’s cap that hides protective medicines.

Status

On View, Gallery 137

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Yoruba

Artist

Ojerinde

Title

Headdress (Ago Egungun)

Places

Nigeria (Object made in), Abeokuta (Object made in), Africa (Object made in)

Date

1850-1899

Medium

Wood and pigment

Dimensions

29.8 × 24.1 × 20.3 cm (11 3/4 × 9 1/2 × 8 in.)

Credit Line

Edward E. Ayer Endowment in memory of Charles L. Hutchinson

Reference Number

1969.240

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/31581/manifest.json

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.

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