Ref: M-363

Height: 43 cm

Product description

Guélédé Yoruba mask. Old room over 40 years old. Delivered on base.

The spectacle of sculpted or Guèlédè masks is singing in Yoruba language and traces the history and myths of the Yoruba-Nago peoples. It includes a preliminary work of crafts: masks sculpture and confection of costumes. The Guèlédè mask is a sacred mask, carved in the wood and carried on the top of the head. The men who wear these masks are dressed in rich female clothes and bells on the feet and hold two horse tails in their hands. The ceremonies take place at night in a public square with a nearby house where the dancers dress. First of all, it was the singers who come out, accompanied by the drum, then the dancers, accompanied by an orchestra. The latter carry a mask which is the true expression of a vital force, where the gesture and the creative activity are put to the work. This expressiveness is accompanied by the roundness of the contours and the delicacy of the model. They all have masks with different shapes and specific names. Each pair evolves alone imitating the approach of certain animals or the theft of various birds. The show uses irony and derision, including satirical masks, to denounce deviant behavior. The extraordinary vitality of Yorubas masks and their cultural dynamism allowed the transplantation and survival of African beliefs in the new world: the descendants of these masks are found in Brazil and Cuba. It should be noted that the oral genus Guèlédè is classified oral and intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO in order to avoid the loss of these traditional know-how and to revitalize it.

ORIGIN:

The origin of the Guèlédè would be located during the mythical passage of matriarchal society to patriarchal society and would have the function of eating the anger of mothers and of honoring Iya Nla, the primordial mother, as well as the spirit of the ancestors. We often use animal figures such as the snake, symbol of power, or the bird, messenger of mothers. The originality of the songs of Guèlédè is linked to the specificity of the ritual context in which they are executed. It is the only mask company led by women of Nago-Yoruba culture. Men accompany as masks and musicians. The origin of the Guèlèdè mask dates back to the end of the 18th century and came from the area of the ancient kingdom of Kétou. The Guèlédè society pays tribute to the spiritual powers of elderly women. These powers are used for the benefit of society in order to restore social harmony. The masks used refer to a wide variety of female and male characters and activities. They usually appear in pairs in shimmering costumes. These practices reflect the belief that the prosperity of a community is linked to its fertility. Rites and dances have been held for more than a century after harvests, during important events and following droughts or epidemics. The Guèlèdè society practices a cult of fertility-fertility in which we sometimes note the use of a belly mask which ensures its members prosperity and health by means of ritual dances, carried out according to the will of the ancestors.

African art Masks of Africa

Part delivered with an invoice and a certificate of authenticity.