Epa Mask - Yoruba People - Nigeria - Douglas Fraser Collection - Call for Price

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These masks often represent fertile women with at least 1 child, signifying the Yoruba preoccupations with children & large families. The festivals for Epa are found in the northeastern area of Yoruba land. This cylindrical helmet mask (Ikoko) is surmounted by a standing female figure with erlongated downturned breasts & a splayed child on her back. The object in her right hand is the handle of a fly whisk, she wears a necklace of beads, and the large conical hairstyle are all symbols of royalty or chieftancy. Although female chiefs are rare, they do occur in several Yoruba towns. The masks are worn over their head by men in order to represent the ancestors of the family that owns the mask. The mask is danced in joyous processions, or knelt before the family shrine to acknowledge the presence of the deceased, & the values that he or she embodied is reiterated to the worshippers. It glorifies heroes and affirms the family history & values.

This particular Epa mask is from the Douglas Fraser collection. Douglas Fraser was a professor of art history and archaeology at Columbia University and was one of the world's leading authorities on primitive art.

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33.5"H x 9.5"W x 10.5"D