Gẹlẹdẹ

Gelede mask from the Yoruba people of Nigeria. Held at the Birmingham Museum of Art
Gelede Body Mask
Gelede mask, Afro-Brazilian Museum, São Paulo

The Gẹlẹdẹ spectacle of the Yoruba is a public display by colorful masks which combines art and ritual dance to amuse, educate and inspire worship. Gelede celebrates “Mothers” (awon iya wa), a group that includes female ancestors and deities as well as the elderly women of the community, and the power and spiritual capacity these women have in society. Focusing not only on fertility and motherhood but also on correct social behavior within the Yoruba society.

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