M0012649: Yoruba head mask surmounted by a female figure and several child figures, Southern Nigeria

Date:: August 1952

Reference:: WT/D/1/20/1/113/10

Part of:: Wellcome Trust Corporate Archive

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Collection contents

Wellcome Trust Corporate ArchiveWT
- Direct activitiesWT/D
  - Library and MuseumWT/D/1
    - Images from the photographic libraryWT/D/1/20
      - Photographic library: "M" seriesWT/D/1/20/1
        "M" series glass plate negatives: M0012639-M0012766WT/D/1/20/1/113
        M0012649: Yoruba head mask surmounted by a female figure and several child figures, Southern NigeriaWT/D/1/20/1/113/10

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Credit

M0012649: Yoruba head mask surmounted by a female figure and several child figures, Southern Nigeria. In copyright. Source: Wellcome Collection.

About this work

Also known as

Previous title, replaced August 2022: Polychrome head-mask, South Nigeria.

Description

Carved wooden head mask, probably used in Egungun, masquerades celebrated by the Yoruba people in Southern Nigeria. The mask is surmounted by a female figure breastfeeding a child, carrying another on her back and accompanied by five more. The figure is possibly a representation of Ododua, the Earth Goddess. The mask was purchased at auction by the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum in 1925 and accessioned in 1936 (accession number R13444/1936). It was removed from the museum's holdings in November 1965. The mask was exhibited in the Museum's exhibition "Medicine of the Aboriginal Peoples in the British Commonwealth" held in 1952. Related images: M0014367

Publication/Creation

August 1952

Physical description

1 photograph glass plate negative; 12 x 16.5 cm

Related material

Wellcome Collection holds the accession register for the item depicted in the glass plate negative:R13445/1936

Copyright note

Notes

Catalogue data comes from a combination of entries in the original glass plate registers, metadata created when the glass plates were digitised in the early 2000s and enhancements made by the cataloguer in 2022.

Terms of use

Please consult the digitised version as this item is fragile. Email library@wellcomecollection.org to request access to the physical item.