Headdress (Igi Gelede)

This dynamic mask of the gelede type depicts two hunters wrestling with a pangolin (or scaly anteater), representing the struggle between civilization and nature, human intelligence and animal force. The figures are shown grabbing the mammal by its back legs but also seem to be losing their balance and giving the pangolin a chance to escape. The dramatic tension of this mask’s upper section presents a sharp contrast to the serene human face below.