Yoruba Peoples, Nigeria
Attributed to Bamgbose (died 1920) or Areogun (about 1880-1954)

The importance of the head and face as metaphors for community are explicit in this monumental mask. It features the many faces of mothers, children, men, and women in a composition that emphasizes hierarchy, support, and interdependence. The central image of a mother of twins alludes to extraordinary fertility, longevity, and the interrelationships of nurturing and sheltering, supporting and sustaining that perpetuate and promise societal growth and continuity. The face at the base of the helmet represents the spiritual base of society.

Wood with pigment, mid-19th to early 20th century
Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey, 1977.22