Egungun

The Egungun cult was adopted in Oyo from Nupe invaders sometime in the 16th century and became politically powerful through its control by the Oyo Mesi or Council of Chiefs. The cult venerates ancestors and gave rise to a wide array of masquerades that impersonate ancestral spirits. The most important of these are elaborate paneled cloth structures, which may or may not include a carved mask component on top. Here, the cloth cylinder hangs from a circular frame and is composed of indigo-dyed, hand-spun cotton strip weave inset with imported velvet trade cloth. In front, a net panel studded with cowrie shells acts as a concealing screen for the masquerader's face. The small carved head is painted with laundry blue, a popular pigment with Yoruba carvers, and the frame is hung with small bundles of powerful medicines or relics.