Mask & Costume

Egúngún appear in annual or biennial festivals held by Yoruba-speaking peoples to honour the ancestors and request their blessings. This Egúngún consists of an elaborately layered costume made up of panels of embroidered, appliquéd textiles with a wooden mask (possibly a cleric, wearing a hat) attached to the top. The layering is a mark of the owner's prestige; it also makes the transformation of the dancer possible. Skilled and energetic dancing results in the cloth panels flaring out, exposing the multiple layers and coloured under-surfaces, and completely transforming the appearance of the Egúngún. The movement of these cloths generate what researchers have termed a "breeze of blessing" through the crowd.