Egungun headdress c. 1950s

This Yoruba Egungun headdress, with its rough, tactile surfaces, is like a conversation between different forms. Look closely, and you'll see the patient work of carving and assembling. The layering of textures, the way the faces emerge from the base – it's all about a process of building, adding, and refining. I love how the lizard sits at the very top like a watchful guardian. The chameleon contrasts with the smooth faces below. Its position speaks to the broader meaning of the piece as a form of communication between worlds, a go-between. The lizard seems to be in a liminal space, the mottled effect of the surface suggests a being caught in transition. It makes me think of other artists like Hannah Höch, who pieced together different images to create new realities. It's all about seeing the world in pieces and putting it back together in unexpected ways.