Cleveland Museum of Art

Egúngún Masquerade Dance Costume

Date

1900s

Medium

cotton, velvet, flannel, dye, faux fur, leather, cowrie shells

Culture

Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker

Department

African Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Swirling into motion, egúngún masquerade costumes appear during annual festivities to bless the community. Manifesting ancestral spirits, they serve as a bridge between the living and the otherworld. The fabric panels create a dwelling place for ancestral spirits. Arranged and selected according to Yorùbá design sense (ojú-ọnà), this mask incorporates hundreds of African, Asian, and European fabrics. These include imported damasks, velvets, faux furs, and embroideries, as well as local indigo-dyed cottons. The striped netting on the "face" of this masquerade costume allows the wearer to see out while keeping their identity concealed.

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