Yorùbá. <em>Gelede Helmet Mask of a Gendarme</em>, early 20th century. Wood, metal, pigment, 10 x 7 x 11 in. (25.4 x 17.8 x 27.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Eugene and Harriet Becker, 1991.226.3. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1991.226.3_SL3.jpg)

Yorùbá. Gelede Helmet Mask of a Gendarme, early 20th century. Wood, metal, pigment, 10 x 7 x 11 in. (25.4 x 17.8 x 27.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Eugene and Harriet Becker, 1991.226.3. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1991.226.3_SL3.jpg)

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What is this?

Depictions of Europeans by African artists come up throughout this gallery. Here we have a Yoruba depiction of a French soldier and at the entrance of this gallery you'll see another Yoruba beaded crown which mimics the wig of a British barrister.

Tell me more.

Gẹ̀lẹ̀dẹ́ masks are worn by male Yorùbá dancers at festivals honoring the women of the community, living and ancestral, especially powerful mothers.

The annual gẹ̀lẹ̀dẹ́ festival usually takes place in the market square, the center of cultural, economic, and religious activity. The festival is comprised of both a night concert (èfè) and afternoon dance (ijó òsán).

What is this?

This Yorùbá mask was made to resemble a French policeman. Depictions of Europeans by African artists are actually pretty common, and there are other garments and even crowns that include individuals in european clothing in our collection!

This gẹ̀lẹ̀dẹ́ mask would be worn by male Yorùbá dancers at festivals honoring women of the community. The performances and designs associated with gẹ̀lẹ̀dẹ́ festival generally relate to elements of everyday life. The mask was likely performed as a critique of French behavior during the colonial period.

Gelede Helmet Mask of a Gendarme

Arts of Africa

Male Yoruba dancers wear gelede masks at festivals honoring the women of the community. Gelede masquerades often serve as a showcase for artistic innovation, with their masks depicting motifs that are both entertaining and critical. This mask depicts a French gendarme, a colonial soldier wearing a blue cap, and was most likely performed as a critique of French personal and political behavior during the colonial period.

CULTURE Yorùbá

MEDIUM Wood, metal, pigment

Place Made: Benin

DATES early 20th century

DIMENSIONS 10 x 7 x 11 in. (25.4 x 17.8 x 27.9 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Arts of Africa

ACCESSION NUMBER 1991.226.3

CREDIT LINE Gift of Eugene and Harriet Becker

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Yorùbá. Gelede Helmet Mask of a Gendarme, early 20th century. Wood, metal, pigment, 10 x 7 x 11 in. (25.4 x 17.8 x 27.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Eugene and Harriet Becker, 1991.226.3. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1991.226.3_SL3.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 1991.226.3_SL3.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

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Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

What is this?

Tell me more.

Gẹ̀lẹ̀dẹ́ masks are worn by male Yorùbá dancers at festivals honoring the women of the community, living and ancestral, especially powerful mothers.

What is this?

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Gelede Helmet Mask of a Gendarme

Arts of Africa

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