masquerade-costume

Costume for Nyau masquerade in form of an animal construction (kasiyamaliro) said to resemble an antelope. Hollow framework made of branches of wood, crossed over each other and tied with raffia palm fibre and sisal. Loose stalks of dried maize ? or straw ? laid over top of this structure. Dried maize leaves woven into wood framework to form outer surface. Purple and brown-coloured maize leaves used in places. Rear and head of animal form elaborate tapering arches. Head has two curved wood horns, tail composed of maize ? stalks tightly bound with natural-coloured sisal. At lower end of tail sisal is overlaid with strip of blue cotton cloth. Tail terminates in loose strands of sisal. Small rectangular holes in structure in several places allow dancers to see out.