Yorùbá and Ijo
Nature Spirit Mask
Yoruba (Ijebu subgroup) or Ijo, 1899
Scroll
Physical Qualities
Wood, 14 H x 7 W x 6 D cm. (5 1/2 x 2 3/4 x 2 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Asif and Jean Shaikh, Chevy Chase, Maryland
Object Number
2005.233
The wide, bulging eyes of these masks refer to supernatural authority and the ability of those associated with the spiritworld to see things that humans cannot. In the context of the fast-moving masquerades in which each mask was danced, these disproportionate facial features helped communicate the metaphors embedded in each work.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 2005; Asif and Jean Shaikh, Chevy Chase, Maryland; purchased from L. Kahan Gallery, NY, 1997.
"Subverting Beauty: African Anti-Aesthetics", Jul 15, 2018 - Nov 17, 2019, BMA, Kevin Tervala.
