Egúngún Masquerade costume, Nigeria, late 20th century WA508366

Performance Gallery was developed at Brighton Museum in response to the excellent collections which relate to performance. The new gallery opened in 2002 and Egúngún is one of the eight installations of people in performance from around the world.

The display:
Performance gallery presents an Egúngún cloth costume within a showcase. The mounting has been carefully constructed to give the impression of some movement of the cloth. The vibrant colours, incredible detail of the appliqué and sequin work and large scale of the figure make this a very impressive and imposing exhibit.

Behind the costume is a large photograph recording Egúngún at Ikenne in 1973, showing the Egúngún surrounded by dancing praising women.

The texts:
Performance is about an experience at a particular time. That experience is very different if you are the performer or the spectator.
In writing texts for the gallery we tried to present these very different perspectives for the different performances. We tried where possible to work the direct quotes of performers or spectators or makers into these texts.

Consider Egúngún Masquerade as Spectator, as Performer, as Maker

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Egúngún masquerade - SPECTATOR

	Egúngún at Ikenne, Nigeria © Marilyn Houlberg 1973 (gallery backdrop image)

Egúngún is moving on the streets. It is surrounded by young men, dancing, chasing, beating, shouting. Women honour it with praise poems. Its swirling breeze of blessing moves among us.

Egúngún means "masquerade" or "powers concealed." It is both festival and fear. It creates order between our world and the dead.

Each Egúngún represents a dead ancestor. It appears for funerals or in annual festivals. With time its powers and reputation may grow.

Egúngún masquerade - PERFORMER

	Detail, Egúngún at Ikenne, Nigeria © Marilyn Houlberg 1973

Beneath the whirling costume, a skilled dancer moves in athletic freeform to the drumbeat. Secrecy is everything.

To become Egúngún, the performer must lose his own identity. He uses his body to construct the power of a deceased ancestor. When the spirit is there the performer no longer exists.

The Egúngún shows the unseen ancestor spirit. The layers of cloth protect the spectators from the energy that lies within.

Egúngún masquerade - MAKER

	Detail of cloth used in the Egúngún costume

The best velvets and brocades that a family can afford are used to construct the Egúngún. In this way the family honours the ancestor and secures its blessing. Over time, new generations will add more layers of cloth and amulets.

A dead ancestor might request a new costume through a priest. The owner and patron, the herbalist, the tailor and the entire lineage will collaborate in creating the Egúngún.

The old costume becomes just cloth and wood.