The Iyoba Pendant Mask

The pendant mask


(Iyoba Pendant Mask, Edo people, Nigeria, Metropolitan Museum of Art) 


This was a very important mask to the Edo peoples, it was created in the early 16th century; where an Oba named Esigie, made it to honor his mother Idia. This mask was used in many ways; sometimes it was worn to battle, other times to bring prosperity, as well as choose the next king, and the mighty mother, who would raise him. In which she is called the Queen of Mothers, also known as Iyoba, the woman who would raise Oba's first son to become the future king. A tradition that continues today, although, for the purpose of annual ceremonies of spiritual renewal and purification (smarthistory.org).

The materials used were just as important as what the mask represents, what was used for this mask was: ivory and iron inlays. Whereas the white ivory of the mask symbolizes ritual purity, which is associated with the god of the sea Olokun (smarthistory.org). The iron inlays are used to reinforce, the mother's gaze, and strength in the mask, also to create indents on the face of the mask. The other details on the mask help bring her strong presence forward. Such as the markings and carvings around her head. Under the neck, she wears a coral chocker, as her hair represents a tiara, with the carvings above meaning something greater.

There are very small and fine details that create a pattern of one Portuguese man and a mudfish. This important detail was added to the hair because it relates to the sea god Olokun. The Hair and pattern were created to act as a tiara showing the importance of all these elements; and how they all connect and have a purpose. The mudfish is an important symbol for their ability to live on both land and water. This represents the king's human and divine sides. The Portuguese men represent voyagers that travel over the land and water, which brings greatness and power to the Oba, the king. This also shows a great relationship between the Portuguese and the Edo people, telling us they are there to help each other and bring many goods from either side.

But the most important thing is how the mask represents the Queen of Mothers; the detail, materials, and meaning behind them makes the amount of weight that rests on this mask huge. By giving a single mother the responsibility to bring up the next king. The Ivory used for this mask and the carvings that came from it, along with the meaning shows us the mother's grand responsibility, and the power she holds.



Citations:

Dr. Christa Clarke, "Queen Mother Pendant Mask (Iyoba) (Edo peoples)," in Smarthistory, October 10, 2016, accessed February 26, 2021, https://smarthistory.org/queen-mother-pendant-mask-iyoba/.




Comments

  1. Glori MartelMarch 2, 2021 at 6:19 PM

    I loved reading this. You added a lot of information that was reliable and made the post even more interesting. You knew exactly what to write about and made an amazing short story for everyone to read. Good Job!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glori MartelMarch 2, 2021 at 6:28 PM

      I honestly don't see anything that needs to be improved. I am curious; was it difficult to find all of this information? Did you have to use more than one source?

      Delete
  2. Grace in the EyeMarch 3, 2021 at 9:05 PM

    I really enjoyed reading this, I liked how you included an extreme amount of detail in your blog post. I liked how you made it a point to show that the mother of the king had a great deal of responsibility on her shoulders. There is not anything that needs to be improved.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownMarch 8, 2021 at 12:20 PM

    I think you did an amazing job with this blog. You included fine details and still made it easy to understand. I really like how you separated your thoughts and information. It was obvious you did your reach and really understood the history and material about the mask. Very well rounded nice job.

    ReplyDelete

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