Yoruba Gelede Masquerade

The Gelede Masquerade honors the primordial essence of women to create and destroy - acknowledging "our mothers, our witches" This festive event comes at the beginning of the agricultural cycle and is celebrated through masquerade, song, dance, performance and ritual.  The Gelede Masquerade has many levels of significance -- only that which is publicly known, is revealed and therein lies the mystery, so I was actually humbled beginning this process, could I really capture their expression in this doll series? 

Researching the Gelede, I found simple and very complex and elaborate mask structures. Most often the Gelede masquerade is used as a parody to convey social behavior or make a commentary on issues relating to the community so it is fitting that their masquerade takes place in the marketplace - the hub of the community.  The Gelede Festival is an annual celebration.

Six images came to me as inspiration along with several styles of "masking".  Some of the images were influenced by the Orisha, who are recognized deities of the Yoruba, their representation in the Gelede Masquerade recognizes all of the ancestral lineages who initiated into the spiritual traditions of the orisha. But far more than that, the community at large, recognize the power of the female orisha among the attributes of the Gelede. 

The first one shown below has a general message to the community, perhaps later on, I will create more Gelede masks that represent more of the social, political commentary; but for now, it is the essence of the primordial mothers that I wanted to express.

These are the Gelede masquerades that I have created thus far:

This masquerade has a style typical of the Gelede featuring animal/reptile motifs on the headdress.  This one has a snake coiled around cowry shells, dancing her way to the activities of marketplace.  Many themes can be perceived from this portrayal.



 Gelede honoring the Iyaami, the primordial mothers who influence the events of humankind - both good and evil.  Appeasement to the Iyaami is always made for favorable outcomes.

 Gelede honoring Yemaya (Yemoja) orisha deity of the Ogun river, and the open waters of the diaspora. Her name means “Mother whose children are like fishes” symbolizing the vastness of her motherhood, and the life giving properties of water for all living things.
 When I look at this portrayal, I feel that she is crying tears as an expression of the cycle of life evident in the water cycle.

Gelede honoring Oya, (Yansan) orisha deity of the wind, medium to the ancestral realm and worshipped deity of the Niger River.  This masquerade features colors attributed to Oya, (as a mother of nine) - nine colorful ribbons are sewn on the back of her robe.  Her robe has sleeves which resemble fans to signify her power of the wind.

Gelede honoring Oshun, orisha deity of a river, symbolic of beauty, grace, sensuality.  I am calling this one Youthful Virtue - a young maiden hopeful for a husband.
last but certainly not least ......

This is The Great Mother.  She is the last masquerade to appear during the Gelede Festival and makes entrance at dusk.  She is the most revered and sacred of the Gelede masquerade.  Her presence can bring forth illness and destruction or summon healing, health and prosperity to the community.

The many faces of the Chokwe Pwo mask

I had been given a Chokwe mask which was damaged, and I attempted to repair the wood with not much success, however, I decided to use the mask as an inspiration for one of my masquerade dolls.  I created two dolls from this inspiration, but found that one of the masks was clearly not cooperating.  It kept falling, breaking, and needed repair to the clay which I used to create the mask.  It also meant that in the third repair, I had to strip the paint and change the pigment.  Asking myself, why was this happening?  I did more research and found that the Chokwe Pwo masks reflect many aspects of a "woman" and womanhood.  So, in actuality, the two dolls I created possessed their own unique energy and representation.  One Pwo mask, does not represent the whole.  For as many Pwo masks that are created, there are the varied experiences and artistic expressions: Pwo can be a young woman, a mother, an elder, or a Chief.

The dress styles include woven or netted fibers and usually are sewn on the masquerader - (the best fiber substitute that I could find is burlap) Cloth and raffia are also used.
They have distinctive head-dresses which are often very elaborate, Headbands are normally featured. This mask exhibits Chokwe stylistic traits such as the half-closed, almond-shaped eyes within concave eye orbits, filed teeth, and C-shaped ears. Its fine coiffure is partially carved in wood as an extension of the mask.

Below, are pictures of my inspiration, and the two dolls created.

Here is the Young Woman Pwo

I changed her outfit from this cloth to the fiber and raffia pictured above

The "Elder Pwo" has unique characterization in her face and hairstyle. The basket weave hairstyle was created from braiding twine and also knotting in places for effect.
I really struggled with this one, having to restart many times including stripping the paint color and changing pigment. While you may notice some imperfections - she is perfect - because the journey of womanhood builds character and inner beauty.

This picture of Pwo Masks show the diversity of styles and artistic expressions.  These masks are at the Dendo Museum in Angola

Pwo Masquerade at a festival

A mask is not created ... it is birthed

A mask is not created ... it is birthed

One may think that the mask is created for its art form or expression of a culture. While this may be true, there are many other important reasons for creating a mask. Masks are the embodiment of spiritual energy which is perceived through dreams or contact with a spirit that desires to be channeled through the mask. So the creation of the mask may represent a family lineage;  or the mask may be needed for ritual use, yet, its creation will also benefit the entire community

When we see the mask in public festivals or ceremonies, many are entertaining and perform acrobatic feats which amaze the community. Yet, the primary functions of the masks are used to teach, instruct, protect, and bless. Many masks will never be seen in public because of their ritual use and those mysteries are closely guarded by the secret societies of each culture and people.

The mask is a vessel and the wearer of the mask becomes an integral part of its “being” and existing. The person wearing the mask is no longer himself:  through ritual, chants, offerings and prayers to petition the spirit of the mask, a possession takes over the wearer – it is not acting or pretend.

The headress, which we see in museums or displayed in homes, is not the mask. The mask is the entire representation “costume” from head to toe, which is why in many cultures, no part of the human body can be exposed. The term masquerade comes to be used, not by African expression, but rather Europeans trying to explain what they saw when visiting tribal communities, equating the “costumed people” as being in disguise – so the concept of “masqueraders” was deemed appropriate.

The use of masks was deemed “primitive” and was very misunderstood by Europeans. In fact, much of has been written or reported by people coming into contact with tribal communities is erroneous. With language often being an issue, communication was an obstacle, so the function and use of the mask within the tribe was left to their own interpretation and self report. Coupled with the fact that tribal communities venerated the “spiritual realm” and what Europeans considered polytheism  (the worship of many gods), the idea of the mask being primitive was reinforced. Even today, our westernized perception likens the masquerade to the pageantry of parades that we see on special occasions. As well, our Christian beliefs prevent us from truly perceiving the beauty of indigenous people who desire to connect with the spiritual energy of the universe and to understand that the concept of spirit possession is natural, and not evil.

Even with communication not being a barrier, the mysteries of the mask are safely guarded by the secret societies and there is much that will never be revealed, so our understanding will be veiled. However, what we can interpret are symbols, general understanding of functional use, key themes, which spiritual entity is being invoked, art styles of appearance and times when the masks will make appearance through ceremony.

Mask making in indigenous cultures is a mentored vocation. Children, most often male, are taught the craft while they are young and the process continues through their initiation or what we refer to as Rites of Passage from youth to adulthood. Then, certain individuals will be designated as craftsman or assistants, or handlers of the mask or the wearer of the mask.

In creating Spirit of the Masquerade, I position myself in the mind's eye and spirit of the artisan to create in my interpretation, the essence of the mask. There are times that I create with a specific culture and mask based upon my research; but, often I work from inspiration (perhaps through the dream work described above) and then seek to find the origin of the mask which asked to be born. So, the adventure has begun and will continue. With no guidebook or patterns to follow, I often find that the simplistic visual appearance of the mask, has very complex design elements, so the creative process also entails what is the best way to construct these masquerades.

Working with materials has been a challenge as well as substituting materials which will have longevity, because I want the Masqueraders to be around for a long time to be enjoyed, once they are born.