Gelede Mask
Gelede masks are worn by male Yoruba dancers at festivals to honor the women of the community. It celebrates powerful Great Mothers, such as the elderly women of the community and the women ancestors of Yoruba society. The gelede performances entertain and educate through elements of everyday life. Through their movements, gelede dancers express Yoruba ideals of male and female behavior. Masks and headpieces vary from woman to woman, each representing something different. They can show who they are, ask for blessings, sing of praise, or literally anything focusing on the good the great mothers bring to them. It is made from wood, pigment and an outfit of strips of fabric. It relates by the celebration of women.