GothamGallery Fine African Art - Yoruba Gelede Mask Start Price USD 5,200.00 Current Price USD 5,200.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, October 25, 2008 End Time Monday, November 24, 2008 Location NYC See more about 'GothamGallery Fine African Art - Yoruba Gelede Mask' Description   Offering the Finest Quality Sub-Saharan African Art   Splendid African Republic of Benin Yoruba Gelede Headdress Mask   Measurement:        Height: 22 Width: 11 Depth: 12 Inches Measurement:        Height: 56 Width: 28 Depth: 30.5 Centimeters                               Measurement Mask OnlyMaterial:                Wood Estimated Age:       19th Century Condition:             Good Remarks:               Highly stylized form plank superstructures aged surface varied brown patina Shipping:               US East Coast - Estimated $35.00                               Exact rate use shipping calculator INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS WELCOME   CONDITION Major wood deterioration all over, some lost to left plank superstructure, chips and scrapes, some repair, overall condition stable and good. Thank you and please view my other items. BACKGROUND The Gelede cult pays homage to the power of elderly women who ensure the fertility and well-being of the community, but who are also held responsible for human barrenness and death. The mask festivals called Gelede are celebrated among the subgroups of the southwestern Yoruba-land. It is usually held between March and May, when the rain arrives and a new agricultural cycle begins. The masquerades, songs, and dances are in honor of “our mothers”, whose power is especially manifest in elderly women, female ancestors, and female orisha (goddesses). Through song, dance, and costume, the underlying truth of the power and authority of woman in a male-oriented society is acknowledged. During Gelede festivities, helmet masks carved in the form of a human face are worn. The sculptured motifs, which appear on Gelede masks, are almost infinite in their variety. They are as diffuse as social experience, for the spiritual power of “the mothers,” for whom Gelede is performed, is attentive to every aspect of social life. This mask presents the image of hornbill at the back, which is the bird symbolizing fertility. The Gelede society wore masks horizontally like a cap. A custom stand is included with this mask. The stand is hand made specifically for this special piece. It is important to properly exhibit a beautiful piece of art. The splendor of the piece cannot be fully revealed without a correct display. Custom mask stands can cost a minimum of fifty and up to several hundred dollars depending on its complexity and size. It is very difficult to locate a good stand maker regardless of price, but fortunately this piece will be appropriately displayed and ready for you and your guests' enjoyment. Painter Fred Uhlman words - Most of the artists I admired, Picasso, Modigliani, Deraini, to mention only a few, had collected African art and had been profoundly influenced by it. Shortly afterwards I bought the Baule Fetish and the Baule bobbin which are still two of the finest pieces in my collection. It is easy to see why I bought them and why from that moment I have never stopped collecting. The head of the bobbin or heddle - pulley which is after all only a functional object for the purpose of weaving seemed to me then and today as beautiful as a Greek goddess. The fetish moved me as deeply as the bobbin by its silent tragic dignity and its air of profound meditation. GUARANTEEAUTHENTICITY AND CONDITION OF ITEMS ARE GUARANTEE TO THEIR DESCRIPTION. IF THE ITEM IS FOUND TO BE NOT AS DESCRIBED OR PICTURED, FULL REIMBURSEMENT OF THE WINNING BID AMOUNT AND SHIPPING CHARGE WILL BE GIVEN.QUESTIONS PLEASE EMAIL WITH ANY QUESTIONS, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, OR MORE DETAIL PICTURES. EMAIL:GOTHAMGALLERY@AOL.COMSHIPPINGSHIPPING VIA USPS PRIORITY MAIL UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING COST PLEASE INQUIRE.PAYMENTPAYMENT ACCEPTED, PAYPAL, MONEY ORDER, CERTIFIED CHECK, PERSONAL CHECK 5 TO 7 DAYS TO CLEAR. OTHER FORMS OF PAYMENT PLEASE INQUIRE FIRST. Please click and check store items GothamGallery Fine African Art 　 PLEASE NOTE GOTHAMGALLERY DOES NOT SEND SECOND CHANCE OFFER COMMUNICATION WILL BE VIA ebay SYSTEM ONLY PLEASE BE CAREFUL OF SCAMS Place a Bid!