Egungun headdress c. 1950s

This Yoruba headdress, dating to the 1950s, is a striking example of the artistic traditions of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. The headdress, crafted from wood and painted in vibrant colors, features a central mask with a ferocious expression and a stylized, almost animalistic form. It is flanked by two carved human heads and surmounted by a smaller, more abstract animal figure. This headdress, a type of masquerade costume, was likely worn by an Egungun dancer during ceremonies commemorating the ancestors, highlighting the complex interplay between the living and the dead in Yoruba culture.