Extremly Rare old African Yoruba EPA mask – Nigeria.

Extremly Rare old African Yoruba EPA mask - Nigeria.Hand carved from a single piece of wood.This Epa mask is dated mid 20th century and comes with a certificate of authenticity.Epa mask is a ceremonial mask worn by the Yoruba people of Nigeria during the Epa masquerade. Epa is an ancient category of ancestral commemoration masks that are performed by members of age-grade societies (in which individuals pass through certain stages at specific ages in life) during feasts marking the annual agricultural cycle, or presented during the post-burial rites for titled men. Epa masks typically represent dignitaries, ancestral spirits, gods, and cultural heroes.The characteristic type of Epa mask is a double-faced helmet mask surmounted by one or more figures. Some are astonishingly elaborate with many figures, and can weigh up to seventy pounds. Each mask is associated with a distinctive dress and style of dance, which may range from slow and powerful to highly energetic. The most important masks are stored in shrines where they are ritually fed to increase their power and efficacy. Over time they become encrusted with sacrificial millet-gruel, feathers, and blood.Whereas the majority of Epa-related masks are naturalistic in style and almost classic in their refinement, this... lees verder bij Catawiki