Igodo dance crest
In coastal Ijebu communities, men’s associations have adopted a celebrated genre of water spirit masquerade, known as ekine, from their Ijo neighbors. When the dance crest is worn horizontally atop the head, its protruding facial features gaze heavenward, underscoring the heightened powers of perception that facilitate otherworldly communication. The bird, perched beak down at the crest’s tip, represents Igodo, an avian spirit that relays messages between water, air, and land. The elongated tab extending from the chin of the main face references the utilitarian form of a boat paddle, establishing a physical link between the humans who navigate the water’s surface and the spirits that occupy its depths. Carved in relief down the center is an undulating python, the mythic progenitor of all water spirits.
Artwork Details
- Title: Igodo dance crest
- Artist: Ijebu-Yoruba artist
- Date: 19th–20th century
- Geography: Nigeria
- Culture: Yoruba peoples, Ijebu group
- Medium: Wood, pigment
- Dimensions: H. 23 1/2 × W. 9 5/8 × D. 7 1/8 in. (59.7 × 24.4 × 18.1 cm)
- Classification: Wood-Sculpture
- Credit Line: The Bryce Holcombe Collection of African Decorative Art, Gift of Bryce Holcombe, 1977
- Object Number: 1977.465
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
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