This Gelede mask has been vetted as authentic, made for tribal use.
There is an obvious piece missing in the middle back of the left arc (see fourth and sixth images above). There is a small crack (now stable) and uneven finish on the front of the arc above the face ( See second image above). There is a chip out of the front of the base and minor damage to both of the animal heads.
Gelede, a male association, uses the aesthetic power of sculpture,
costume, song and dance to placate and please women, who have special spiritual
power. Often with elaborate superstructures, the headdresses appear as identical
pairs in the dances.
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