Collecting African Tribal Art : Spiritual Energy of African Tribal Art

Plants typically absorb sunlight and convert the energy through photosynthesis to usable chemical energy while releasing oxygen. Humans convert food into chemical energy to support physical processes in the body. The physical process is part of an entire interconnected and balanced ecosystem. Beyond this however the human species possesses the faculty to create, comprehend and develop logic. This abstraction is the module within which the ‘African Tribal Spirit’ has been isolated and developed into a potent source of motivation, moderation, projection, control and self development. The purpose of the African Tribal Art in the ‘religious or protective’ (versus utilitarian) sense is to stimulate conditioned mechanisms via either an individual or on a collective basis, within the larger framework of a village or community.

Let’s take a look at a couple examples.

Bwa : Butterfly Mask
Wheelock Cat #139

This mask is attributed to the Bwa in Boni and Dossi. It represents “the butterflies that metamorphose and rise in clouds around the pools of water left by the first rains of spring. These masses of butterflies are a manifestation of the power of new life and the awesome power of the blessings of ‘God’…. This particular style [referring to a straight protuberance versus a hooked beak] , very long and decorated with a linear series of nested circles, is the only style correctly spoken of as a ‘butterfly’ or, more accurately, a spirit that takes this butterfly form.” The use of this mask in a ritual masquerade reinforces common ideals of beauty and respect for the environment held by the community. It may also play a part in developing the framework of a benevolent God-figure. On an individual level it may also act as a trigger in remembering an occasion where one may have witnessed a rabble of butterflies. This process is the ‘African Tribal Spirit’ – the mask itself while treasured and appreciated is not necessarily deified.

Buffalo Helmet
Private Collection

Toussian – Kable Helmet
Buffalo Helmets [Constantine Petrides]

The article (see link above) says “As a result of the animal’s cultural connotations, buffalo imagery is prevalent in the arts of many sub-Saharan cultures. Its behavior and anatomy have served as a special source of inspiration in many of the subcontinent’s masquerades. In Central Africa, in addition to the realistically rendered depictions of buffalo heads in the helmets of Tabwa people, one finds a large number of carved buffalo heads especially among the so-called Kwango cultural complex in southwestern Congo – including Yaka, Sulu, Pende, and Holo (see Bourgeois 1991).”

The Spiritual energy of African Tribal art is not limited to the imagery of animals but can also be established via behaviors, ideals (discipline, bravery, moderation of aggression) and the intangible framework of a specified cosmological framework, eg. Ikenga, and Egungun from the Igbo and Yoruba peoples respectively.

Collecting African Tribal Art : Papers on Egungun

The following are several interesting papers on Egungun.

The first paper [Wolff] shows the variation in the crests, ranging from a tableau setting (with several figures), to other typical representations related to the hunter lineage (a stylized male head with a distinctive hairstyle where the plaits terminate in a bun to the left side of the head to mimic the larger than ordinary caps typically worn by hunters) or the Egungun erin (typified by the ere, or wooden crest mask, in the shape of a head with a human face and huge upstanding ears that allow it to tower high above the heads of the crowd).

Egungun Costuming in Abeokuta

Wolff, Norma H.

Excerpt:

“Egungun masqueraders do not appear only in the context of funerals. Dressed in enveloping costumes of cloth, members of the Egungun society represent the corporate spirit of the Yoruba dead and appear in a number of ritual and public contexts throughout the year. They appear individually at times of family and community rejoicing or crisis and as a group at annual festivals held in honor of community ancestors. Despite modernizing influences and religious change, Egungun masqueraders, as physical manifestations of “Yoruba power,” continue to appear in the teeming streets of modern Lagos, in the large indigenous centers of Ibadan, Oshogbo, Ono, Florin, Ife, Owo, and Abeokuta, as well as in the villages and small rural hamlets throughout Yorubaland.

Front View of typical ‘Erin’ head crest

Rear view of ‘Erin’ head crest with Chameleon.

In any particular locality, Egungun masqueraders come in many forms or generic types, which are emically labeled. Generic type differences are displayed in the formal attributes of carved crest mask (if present), the cut of the costume, the kind, color, and condition of the cloth used, iconographic details in additive elements such as embroidery and appliqué and in the accessories attached to or carried by the masquerader and his attendants.

An analytical inquiry into the origin of the Ogbomoso Lomolehin masquerade and its essence.

ADEYEMO, PETER ADEWOLE, PH.D. AND OBADOFIN, SAMUEL BAMIDELE

Introduction:

In the Yoruba’s philosophy about death, it is believed that when a person dies, such becomes a divinity to be worshipped on bent knees. This idea then becomes a significant premise on which the Yoruba’s belief in ancestral worship is anchored. Beier in Adegbola (1998), further affirms the Yoruba’s belief in ‘spiritism.’ Hence, the worship of the ancestors is based on a firm belief that the ‘spirit’ of a human being never dies but continues to influence the life of the community from another sphere, after it has left the physical body. One of the unique ways through which the ancestors are believed to communicate with the living, therefore, is their manifestation on earth in the form of costumed figures, known as Egungun (masquerades) in the Yoruba language.

Colours of an African Performative Ritual

Adeyemi, Sola

Introduction:

The Yoruba people of South-West Nigeria believe in re-incarnation. In fact, the whole concept of transcendental existence is primal to Yoruba life. Human beings live and die repeatedly until they have attained a certain level of spiritual growth; they then graduate to either becoming a god or an ancestor, depending on their achievements while in the world. The ancestors, with the gods, function to aid people at transition points in life and after life, particularly in crossing the gulf which separates the living from the ancestors, the space Wole Soyinka calls the fourth stage (Soyinka 1976). These ancestors are however not worshipped like gods and other deities but revered and venerated. The most popular instance of this veneration is in the Egungun1 cult.

Collecting African Tribal Art : 140 Years of Nigeria

This timeline provides an overview of the major events leading to Nigeria’s independence in 1960 and administrative expansion to 36 states in 1996, highlighting the formation of the Lagos interest, Southern Nigeria Protectorate, and Northern Nigeria Protectorate as key steps in the country’s journey toward self-governance. It is the first of a multi-part Series which will hopefully act as an informational resource and provide some clarity on items and locations related to Ife, Benin City vs Benin, modern Nigerian states, Sokoto vs the Sokoto Caliphate, and other regions.

1860s:

• Lagos becomes a British colony in 1861.

Ethnic Groups and Regions in the 1850s

Scarification by Region & Ethnography.

1880s:

• The British establish the Oil Rivers Protectorate in the Niger Delta region, which later becomes the Southern Nigeria Protectorate.

• “Ijebu (also known as Jebu or Geebu) is a Yoruba kingdom in Nigeria. It was formed around the fifteenth century. According to legend, its ruling dynasty was founded by Obanta whose personal name was Ogborogan of Ile-Ife“.

• “The Egba nation is made up of the following subdivisions: the Ake, Owu, Oke Ona and Gbagura, each with its own king. (Historically, the Egba nation is made up of these four divisions; Ibara, though geographically located in Abeokuta as well, is part of Yewaland.) During colonial rule the British recognised the  Alake (or King of Ake) as the paramount ruler of the whole clan and their territory, and so, his successor is now referred to as the Alake of Egbaland”.

• “The Owus are mainly concentrated at Ago-Owu in Abeokuta, but a larger number of Owu towns may be found elsewhere across the Yoruba empire. The Yoruba kingdom stretches into the Republic of Benin from Nigeria’s borders”.

• The Benin expedition of 1897 was a massacre resulting in the destruction and looting of the “Kingdom of Benin, also known as the Edo Kingdom or the Benin Empire.  It has no historical relation to the modern republic of Benin, which was known as Dahomey from the 17th century until 1975. The Kingdom of Benin’s capital was Edo, now known as Benin City in Edo State, Nigeria. The Benin Kingdom was “one of the oldest and most developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa“. It grew out of the previous Edo Kingdom of Igodomigodo around the 11th century AD, and lasted until it was annexed by the British Empire in 1897″.

1900s:

• The Southern Nigeria Protectorate is merged with the Lagos Colony in 1906 to form the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria.

• The British also establish the Northern Nigeria Protectorate, comprising areas in the north.

Northern and Southern Nigeria in 1914.

1914:

• The Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria and the Northern Nigeria Protectorate are amalgamated into the single Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria on January 1, 1914, with its capital in Lagos.

1930s:

• Nationalist movements begin to emerge, advocating for greater autonomy and independence from British rule.

1940s:

• World War II significantly impacts Nigeria, leading to further calls for self-governance and independence.

1950s:

• Nigeria experiences a surge in nationalist activities, with prominent figures like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, and Ahmadu Bello leading the way for self-rule.

• Constitutional conferences are held to discuss the country’s future political structure.

October 1, 1960:

• Nigeria gains its independence from British colonial rule, becoming a sovereign nation with a parliamentary system of government.

• The first Prime Minister of Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, takes office, and Nnamdi Azikiwe becomes the country’s first President.

Modern Nigeria and Neighbors

Modern Nigeria – States

1987-1996

During this period, there were 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The Federal Capital Territory was established in 1991. In 1987 two new states were established, followed by another nine in 1991, bringing the total to 30. The latest change, in 1996, resulted in the present number of 36 states.

Collecting African Tribal Art : Chameleon

The chameleon is known as Agemo in the Yoruba religion,  a messenger of Olorun, head of the Yoruba pantheon of deities (known as Orishas). Two of the non-physical attributes that one may miss related to chameleons are bravery and loyalty. In the video link below a chameleon sacrifices itself to save another chameleon from a snake.

Senegal chameleon in Pendjari National Park in Benin. Chameleon fighting snake video link!

The chameleon may typically appear in a form of the Yoruba Egungun headdress, the Ijebu Okenekene headdress, and in the Senufo Kponyungo and Wanyugo helmet masks.

In Yoruba legend Agemo helped his master Olorun win in a competition against Olokun, goddess of the sea. Olokun was skilled at weaving and dyeing cloth, which made her think that she was superior to all of the other Orishas, including Olorun. She challenged Olorun to a weaving contest to determine who was truly superior. Olorun told Agemo to ask Olokun to show him her best cloth, and if he was impressed, he would accept the challenge. Agemo, being a chameleon, was able to replicate the patterns of every piece of cloth that Olokun produced. Olokun thought that if Olorun’s messenger could so easily replicate her work, she would be no match for Olorun himself, and admitted defeat.

Agemo is the main deity of the Ijebu people. Agemo’s cult spread primarily through the conversion of infertile women, many of whom went to the deity to cure their infertility. When they were cured, they dedicated themselves and their children to worshipping Agemo.

Keeping Egungun Simple

I came across an interesting mural of two Egungun (Egúngún, Eégún, Egún) from the town of Badagry, Nigeria. As Iyalla (1983) suggests, from one point of view, the egungun is intended to mask something real; from another point of view, the Egungun is a dramatic masque of some unseen existence, but the fact remains that Egungun is nothing more or less than a venerated representation of the ancestors (73- 82). A very informative lecture on Egungun from the Art Institute of Chicago (01/28/23) is titled “Yoruba Masking Tradition”.

Egungun mural

Simple Headdress & Shrine Element

“The making of the costume is a secret, and costly, process involving the separate efforts of a woodcarver (if a mask is needed) and a tailor who specializes in the making of Egungun costuming. Only when all parts of the ensemble are brought together and joined in a ritual act does the spirit of the Egungun enter the costume. The costume itself, when not being worn, acts as a shrine for the Egungun spirit, which may be called upon by the owner throughout the year as needs arise. For example, if a woman of the owner’s lineage has been advised to appeal to the Egungun for a child, rituals will be carried out in front of the costume to call and petition the spirit. The owner may then put on the costume and appear outside the shrine room so that the woman, who is not allowed to see the costume dormant, may make direct petition. To give food or kill a chicken for the Egungun in such a case is referred to as ‘sacrificing the cloth,'” [soure  Egungun Costuming in Abeokuta]

Egungun Classification (source: “Yoruba Masking Tradition”)

Egungun Ancestor & Orisha Shrine

Egungun Shango Shrine

The headdress above depicts a Hunter, with helpers grooming figures representing the sacred dogs and a sacred turtle, alongside a monkey’s head (utilized as a potent totem used to repel evil spirits). ‘Egungun heads’ with long plaits hanging to one side commemorate, in particular, important ancestors of the hunter clans and are called ‘Egungun Layewu’. Dogs, turtles, and roosters are considered sacred animals to the Orisha Shango. Dogs are believed to represent loyalty and protection, whereas turtles symbolize long life and patience. Roosters, on the other hand, represent vigilance and the announcement of the new day.

Egungun (source: “Yoruba Masking Tradition”)

Egungun from Ikinne (source: Ancestral Masquerade of Egungun)

Finding Osumare (Oshumare, Oshunmare)

I came across the “Cohen Egungun” in March of 2023 and I was struck by my lack of Yoruba knowledge and my inability to decipher the tableau (any comments or clarifications will be appreciated). It’s a big boy, coming in at approximately 30″ in diameter (but light enough to parade in, moreso if one inserted some shoulder support). The main clues were the predominance of blue and red, two pythons, the well coiffured ram, the two monkeys (eating corn cobs), and one helper with a necklace of cowrie shells. There are no holes in the rim of the headdress for attachments but it was evident that attachments were nailed in at the sides.

Osumare Egungun : Provenance D. Cohen, Washington DC

Why Osumare?

Osumare’s symbol is the python (ere) and appears as the rainbow (his colors specifically being red and blue). Osumare is, at the same time, male and female (thus exhibiting a dual nature). He/she is frequently represented as a pair of serpents or a single serpent with two heads. Osumare is associated with wealth and prosperity. Aside, the word mare (‘the immense, infinite, or eternal’) appears in both Osu-mare and Olodu-mare (Idowu 1994:30, Bamgbose 1971/72:27, 32; see also Babalola 1972/73:104-105). One folk explanation of the rainbow is that it encodes a message from Olodumare to his mother (the python?) in the underworld (Idowu 1994:30) [source: Ejiwapo: the dialectics of twoness in Yoruba art and culture, Lawal 2008]

Osumare Shrine : Illara, near Meko, 1960. Photo credit : Keith Carroll

In the Osumare Shrine photo above the devotee is wearing a blue dress with a python motif.

1) Vessel with snake motif Ile-Ife, c. 14th century Nigeria.
2) Ritual bowl with python and human figures.

How does the Ram fit?

One stickler was the Ram. Oshunmare takes offerings of ducks, mixtures of black beans, corn and shrimp cooked in palm oil. The fatted, well cared for Ram may be explained by the “king sacrifice”. The king provides a ram that is to be sacrificed in the bush shrine. As in many African rituals where the sacrificial victim represents the sacrificer, the ram “stands in” for the king himself. The king is praised for offering his ram because by the paradoxical rule of a cosmological secret , he offers himself to the orisha in return for power to rule effectively over others [source. The Embodiment of Paradox: Yoruba Kingship and Female Power, A. Apter 1991]

In Brazil, worshipers of Oshunmare wear yellow and green glass beads; Tuesday is his sacred day. His initiates use braja, long cowry necklaces strung in a way that looks like snakeskin. They carry ebiri in their hand, a type of broom made with palm stems. They can also carry an iron staff forged like snakes. While dancing, his iyawos alternately point up to the sky and down to the earth. People scream “Aoboboi!!!” to salute him.

In many cultures within Nigeria, chimpanzee and gorilla parts are believed to provide protection from evil spirits and curses, or allow communication with ancestors. Myths about apes are numerous in Nigeria’s multicultural society. These myths, lores and legends vary from community to community but are united in the position that apes share an ancestry with man, command unnatural powers, and remain important in the world of magic. [source. Article: What is magic without ape parts? Mongabay Series: Great Apes.]

More on Osumare

“Osumare is the serpent-rainbow; he has multiple functions. They say that he is one of Shango’s servants and that his work consists of gathering rainfall and taking it back up to the clouds…but in this definition we find a certain elementary-school tone of explaining and describing natural phenomena. Oshumare is movement and activity. One of his duties is to drive the forces that produce movement. He is the lord of everything that is elongated. The umbilical cord, which is under his control, is generally buried with the placenta under a palm tree which becomes the property of the newborn, whose health will depend on the tree’s conservation. He is the symbol of continuity and permanence, and sometimes, is represented by a serpent that twists and bites its own tail. He wraps himself around the earth to keep it from falling apart. If he lost his strength, it would be the end of the world…this is an excellent reason to not be negligent with his offerings.” [source. Blog Oshumare – The Sacred Serpent, Mae Melissa Olosun, 2018]

Divination Beauty

I guess in many African Tribal Art collections there will always be 20% of pieces that simply rise above the quality of the rest of the collection. In the Diane Cohen (former Board member of the Museum of African Art, the predecessor to the Smithsonian Museum of African Art) estate sale (2023) this also seemed to be the case. The sale was handled by Bernard Estate Liquidators who did a great job in staging the extensive African Tribal Art collection. The big lesson for aspiring estate sale hunters is that the lower quintile stuff is usually in the garage, the mid quintile stuff in the ‘special room or area ‘ and one or two amazing pieces may be in a bedroom.

To be honest my weakness for divination bowls stemmed from a visit to the High Museum in Atlanta. At the Cohen sale I turned a corner… saw this particular divination bowl (above) with the kneeling woman and the mudfish and I was legit stunned. I had probably spent close to an hour in the garage trying to convince myself that there was something in there (actually I found a huge Egungun headdress, but that’s another story by itself) and by the time I got to the living room area I didn’t expect to find anything left.

The dish is carved from a single block of wood with a simple, elegant and balanced composition. The rounded base has an age crack to the rear. The caryatid bowl is supported by four slender columns which are joined in pairs by diametrically positioned mudfish. The central character is a young, kneeling Yoruba woman with a wonderful smile and oversized hands. The rim of the bowl is carved in low-relief with a pattern of repeated alternating triangles. The bowl is just over 9″ high by 6″ wide.

Mudfish have both mythical and physical attributes which are highlighted by Yoruba art form due to their ability to move in two realms – in water and on land. In this way, they are an appropriate metaphor for use in a divination bowl which is used to summon spirits from the spirit world to provide guidance on real life practical problems. Like the mudfish, spirits traverse two worlds. Mudfish are also associated with wealth and the divine powers of rulers. Today, mudfish are a local delicacy often found smoked on sticks, or occasionally they are used as sacrificial offerings, primarily to Orunmila.

For anyone interested (see Animals in the Traditional Worldview of the Yoruba [Olusola]),

The Yorùbá deities are numerous and each of them is associated with a particular animal, which is sacrificed to a particular deity. For example, Ògún (god of iron) is very fond of dogs, snails, tortoises and rams; Òsun (a goddess of the river called by that name) accepts goats and fowls; Èsù (the Yorùbá trickster deity) is fond of black fowl; Şàngó (god of thunder) is fond of ram; Òrúnmìlà (god of wisdom, knowledge and prophesy) is fond of rats and mud-fish; Obàtálá (the Supreme God) is fond of snails; Òsanyìn (the god of herbal medicine) is fond of tortoises; Egúngún (Masquerade) is fond of ram, just to mention a few. The Yorùbá know the choice of each deity and they do everything possible to meet their demands and needs so that things will augur well in their own communities.

From a Michael Blackman description,

“These bowls were essential for rituals in which fate or prophecy (ifa) was divined. Ifa divination was used to transcribe the wisdom of Orunmila, the spirit of wisdom, divinity and prophecy in Yoruba mythology. A highly-trained priest, the babalawo, taps rhythmically on a tray (the opon ifa) with a tapper (the iroke ifa) to invoke the presence of Orunmila. A divination bowl such as this example is used to contain the sixteen sacred palm nuts (ikins), which must have at least three ‘eyes’.

During the divination process, the diviner divides the nuts between his hands. The nuts left in the original hand, desirably one or two, are counted and marked. As the divination proceeds, the diviner continues to mark single or double marks in wood powder spread on his divination tray until one of the 256 recognised odus is created. (An odus is a set of accepted traditional binary patterns or codes that have evolved over thousands of years of observation and prediction. They provide guidance on both the everyday and the spiritual.)“

Struck by Lega (finally)!!

On November 21st and 22nd 2022 several items from the estate of Sara Roosevelt Wilford came up for auction across Sotheby’s and Doyle New York.

E1 – Sotheby’s : Art of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
21 November 2022•14:00 EST New York
Lot #59 Yaure Mask, Côte d’Ivoire, possibly by Kuakudili

The Yaure piece sold well, helped by a Mathias Komor provenance and the fact that a snippet of the eye area was used as the lead-in to the auction. This piece should appreciate substantially in coming years.

The pieces (which sold) from the Doyle New York auction were an Edo Bronze Hip mask, a Lega, and an Ibeji.

If one considers the abstraction of the female figure, and further compartmentalizes the process of pregnancy the Lega is pretty thought provoking from several perspectives.

“The objects [Lega] represent moral or social values, and are used during initiation rites. The Bwami works of art are often associated with proverbs, and these proverbs in conjunction with dance, poetry and song give wisdom to members of the society. Beauty, knowledge and power are intertwined.” (see Lega)

Baby Belt Technique:

The carving demonstrates support for pregnancy via the ‘X’ across the belly area, which would have been accomplished using wraps or ties.

“For the ladies whose bellies are protruding outwards a good bit, you might like this technique. You will need two strips of tape [kinesio]. You are going to form an “X” at your belly button, starting at the bottom above your hip bones. While pulling the tape across your belly, you are going to make sure you pull firmly in order for the tape to hold your belly in place securely.

The carver uses the relative size of the small arms and hands supporting disproportionately larger breasts, and the larger size of the stomach area to subtly convey the differences stemming from pregnancy. The clean lines of the hips and legs illustrate reduced mobility and highlights the importance of the pregnancy. The calm stoic facial appearance promotes a peaceful countenance which is important to the fetus.

E2 Lega – Pregnant Woman (side view)

Finally the carver rolls the arms, and breasts straight into the neck in a seamless fashion, thus the strong neck and wide hips offer classic balance to the piece. To be honest I did give the Ibeji a little run but that was primarily to soften up the bidding on the Lega. It was always the Lega for the win!!

E1 Sotheby’s photo credit

E2 Doyle New York photo credit (set of four)

Larence, Oya and Oshun.

Michelle and I made an overnight road trip to Duxbury MA in June 2022 via DC, Baltimore, NY and CT. The event was an estate sale full of musical books, American folk art, portraits and African Tribal Art antiques. The collector was Larence Harley Smith (RIP), who passed the year prior at age 87. Although we thought getting there (even with a tire puncture on the turnpike) at 9am was great stuff, we couldn’t compare to his friend Lan Nelson who made the three day road trip from Kansas and arrived a bit before we did.

Five Pieces – Oloju Foforo mask (far left)

The estate sale staff were pretty great (special shout out to Diane McNamee, Marion Antiques) and kept everything orderly, even though the sale was spread between three buildings. I think our best purchase was a Sokoto terracotta, from Axel (a NJ collector) who also made the trip and who had some recent success selling pieces through Millea Brothers Auctions. We had been going back and forth for a couple years on the price and payment terms for this particular piece. This is the way. Axel had previously shared some advice that occasionally works at a live auction, “Throw in an early bid at a piece with a fairly high estimate range…. you never know”.

Sokoto

Back to Larence’s collection, the main pickup was the Ikenga, but the double tiered Oloju Foforo mask may prove to be the most interesting.

Oshun (?)

Oshun, the Yoruba orisha of the river is associated with the colors white, yellow, gold, and sometimes coral. Oya, is another of Shango’s wives and her colors are brown, dark red, and multicolored. What’s interesting is the first tier showing Shango in disguise, wearing locks of hair cut from either Oshun or Oya in order to avoid detection from unfriendly enemy forces. Based on the extensive use of yellow I think the mask represents team Oshun.

Typical single tiered Oloju Foforo Mask

Larence travelled extensively and this was reflected in the diversity of his pieces. It was clear that he had been bitten but not limited by the African Art bug, since most of the proceeds of the estate sale were to be donated to a Native American charity. Lately I find myself leaning to pieces with at least a little provenance but the most important driver in buying pieces for a personal collection should be based on personal impact or attraction to the piece.

Egungun Tableau

Egungun in “the broadest sense is any Yoruba masquerade or masked, costumed figure. More specifically, it is a Yoruba masquerade for ancestor reverence, or the ancestors themselves as a collective force”…. as part of the Yoruba religion Egungun embraces and celebrates blood ancestors, their strengths and teachings. The main character in the masquerade presents a vibrant mixture of rich velvet textures and whirling centrifugal movement.

Typically the main Egungun headdress displays a long eared head carved atop a large circular disc, which serves as the hanger for the folds of material hanging down, to present a cylindrical whole. The head at times may represent a hunter with a long plait resting to the right.

Egungun Tableau : Front view

I came across an Egungun tableau and I’ll share a simple interpretation (my literature teacher Mr. Mercier (RIP) would refer to the ‘explicit’).

Egungun Tableau : Side view

I’m breaking down the Egungun tableau into five groups: 1.Hunter, 2. Turtle, 3. Monkey dragon, 4. Two four legged dragons (one angry to the left), and one docile on the right of the hunter, 5. Caretakers (3 off). I map the tableau components to anger, love, long term strategy, short term happiness/mischief, and restraint/care….. The angry dragon (for example) is restrained by two caretakers, but with care. The docile dragon may represent a loving nature. The happy monkey dragon is cared for in a nurturing (positively spoiled) manner while the turtle sits in the middle (central and representing strategic thinking) facing the angry dragon. The hunter’s plait lays over the docile dragon (showing a normal harmonious state).

Rear View – Monkey Dragon

The tableau represents a simple map showing the complexities of our behaviors, and drivers. It also entreats descendants to pay attention and care to specific aspects of character. It does not say ‘aspire to this ideal’ but rather ‘this is what you need to understand and develop for a holistic and balanced life’.

Yoruba Egungun Headress & Costume : Bonhams,14 Nov 2013 (lot 169)