Epa mask

Epa masks take part in the cult of the same name, also called elefon in Benin. It is practised mainly in northern Nigeria during three-day festivals held every two years. In this northern region, the cult has an agrarian character and is intended to secure the fertility of the land and the prosperity and well-being of families. In the south, epa masks take part in initiation rites and funerals and, today, in any important village occasion. These rites were presided over by the Alafin of Oyo, the spiritual capital of the Yoruba. The Alafin was the king, the supreme chief. The epa cult transforms young people, giving them the strength to endure pain and adversity. In Benin, offerings are made to Ogun, god of iron and war, in the elefon cult, and the warriors’ return home is celebrated.

Within a common framework there is a wide variety of epa masks, depending on the village or region in which they were carved. Some masks can weigh fifty kilograms, so their wearers must be young, agile and strong. Almost all these masks are quite large. They depict a Janus-like human head, with two opposing faces, sometimes with the bulging eyes characteristic of Yoruba art. Human figures or very varied groups of figures may appear above this head.

This mask has two opposing, Janus-like faces, with elongated mouths and eyes. Above the platform crowning the head stands a male figure holding two carved staffs, suggesting that he is a chief. Behind him, facing the opposite direction, is a small female figure holding her breasts, a gesture signifying impending motherhood and celebrating female fertility. The piece is heavily eroded by time, but retains traces of its original pigments.