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Source Description

This type of helmet used by the Oro association, is often mistaken for the more common Egungun. While Egungun masquerades are performed to honor an individual's ancestors, Oro masquerades are performed in conjunction with the actual funeral of a Yoruba person. The Oro association is very secretive, and the visibility of helmets like this one is generally restricted. Oro is also responsible for carrying out criminal sentences, such as collecting fines, repossessing goods, and executing those convicted of a capital crime. The female figure suspended from the back of the horns may reference the victims of Oro executions. This work has been attributed to the Esubiyi School of Abeokuta, founded about 1860.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
144709
label
Helmet
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
144709
contentType
object
title
Helmet
description
This type of helmet used by the Oro association, is often mistaken for the more common Egungun. While Egungun masquerades are performed to honor an individual's ancestors, Oro masquerades are performed in conjunction with the actual funeral of a Yoruba person. The Oro association is very secretive, and the visibility of helmets like this one is generally restricted. Oro is also responsible for carrying out criminal sentences, such as collecting fines, repossessing goods, and executing those convicted of a capital crime. The female figure suspended from the back of the horns may reference the victims of Oro executions. This work has been attributed to the Esubiyi School of Abeokuta, founded about 1860.
date
late 1800s–early 1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Mask
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 62.9 cm (24 3/4 in.)
cul
Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker
accession
1969.5
Source extras
tec
Wood and paint
tombstone
Helmet, late 1800s–early 1900s. Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker. Wood and paint; overall: 62.9 cm (24 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Katherine C. White, 1969.5
collection
African Art
formerAccessionNumbers
922.68
citations
citation
Fagg, William, and Cleveland Museum of Art. 1968. <em>African Tribal Images; the Katherine White Reswick Collection</em>. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, no. 113.
citation
CMA 1970: "Year in Review 1969," CMA Bulletin LVII (Jan., 1970), p. 47, no. 135.
creditline
Gift of Katherine C. White
sketchfabId
13600dbd9c79478a8380bb90ff8b6df5
updatedAt
2026-06-18 21:17:03.631000
sourceId
144709
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Wood and paint
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
dfc5b11faae8a62a