Yoruba Gelede Polychrome Ceremonial Headdress

Associated with honoring the powerful "Mothers" (Iyami), ancestral spirits, community harmony, fertility, and cosmological balance during annual celebratory masquerade festivals

Characterized by a vibrant polychrome finish (deep red facial plane with blue and white detailing), a central square inset mirror/panel, an elaborate equestrian figure superstructure on horseback, surrounding attendant figures holding traditional canopies or umbrellas, and a voluminous organic fiber or raffia beard