History

Masking traditions are a major part of the Edo groups of Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

, who trace their beginnings to the kingdom of Benin

Benin Empire

The Benin Empire was a pre-colonial African state in what is now modern Nigeria. It is not to be confused with the modern-day country called Benin, formerly called Dahomey.-Origin:...

, their neighbors to the south. The politics and social structures of the Edo groups tend to be more similar to their neighbors, which consist of the Idoma

Idoma

The Idoma are an ethno-linguistic group that primarily inhabit lower and western areas of Benue State, Nigeria, and kindred groups can be found in Cross Rivers and Nasarawa States in Nigeria. The Idoma are closely related to the Igbo people. The Idoma language is classified in the Akweya subgroup...

 and Igala

Igala

Igala are an ethnic group of Nigeria. Igala practice a number of different religions, including animism, Christianity, and Islam.The home of the Igala people is situated east of the river Niger and Benue confluence and astride the Niger in Lokoja, Kogi state of Nigeria...

. Basic political units are formed from ritual ties. A council of elders within a number of Masquerade societies forms each small village’s government. Okpella

Okpella

Okpella is a kingdom situated along Benin-Abuja federal high way road. It is a town in Edo State, Nigeria and one of the three main towns that make up Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State...

 is well known in and around Edo state as a cement town, which with ties to other Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

n cities, towns, and villages under the direction of Glo-Mobile, one of Africa’s fastest growing networks that is helping to increase the technology of Africa to its network capacity to 10 million lines by the end of 2006, the village is still alive with African traditions and culture. Men and women of the Edo people belong to masquerade societies, with their primary belief to control anti-social forces (voodoo, witchcraft

Witchcraft

Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...

, demon

Demon

call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...

s, devil

Devil

The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...

s, etc.) and help to bring about a better, safer, and well-adjusted community or village.

Artists

African art

African art

African art constitutes one of the most diverse legacies on earth. Though many casual observers tend to generalize "traditional" African art, the continent is full of people, societies, and civilizations, each with a unique visual special culture. The definition also includes the art of the African...

 and African artists are regarded in a different sense of the word “artist” than what persons from other cultural backgrounds might conceive. An African artist is one who works in many different capacities, rather than just being a “starving artist," of Western lore. Most of these men and women work on farms as laborers and seasonal help. An African artist is highly regarded as a professional who may have become skilled in many mediums, such as wood

Wood

Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...

, metal

Metal

A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...

, leather

Leather

Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...

, mud

Mud

Mud is a mixture of water and some combination of soil, silt, and clay. Ancient mud deposits harden over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone . When geological deposits of mud are formed in estuaries the resultant layers are termed bay muds...

, wall painting, ceramics

Ceramics (art)

In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...

, and many other different aspects of creativity.
Unlike their counterparts of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Europe, researchers and collectors of art were not so much concerned with the artist’s name and identity, rather than to remember the artist as a well-known member of his or her village or town.

Many African artists throughout the years have established themselves with more of a regional reputation, attracting patrons of their craft, who wish to procure commissioned work. According to Lawrence Ajanaku, an African artist,

“No one learns from anyone else how to do it. It is something we are born with. It is the kind of knowledge that remains in the center of our being”.

The best-known of the Edo groups, the Okpella, use a wide, varying range of mask types, which, according to some African artists, may take up to a year to complete. The masks that are created by the artist convey many different types of rituals and ceremonies. One example of this is a brilliant, white-faced mask representing “dead mothers”, appearing during the annual Olimi festival, which is held at the end of the dry season, and is worn by dancing kinsmen. This festival, as others do, signifies social control and ancestral reverence, celebrating the transitions of age-grades.

The Otsa festival embraces women dancers in addition to the male, the tradition masquerade dancers. The women portray “mothers”, who sponsor new plays and as supporters who perform in concert in between masquerade plays. During the festival, the “mothers” come to the dance area with their masquerades to sprinkle chalk and water, which symbolizes peace and good luck. This festival annually celebrates the feast of Otsa to purify the land and reinforce community solidarity.

Forms of Art

Many types of masks are used by the Northern Edo. Like most masks created in Africa, it represents the presence of a spirit

Spirit

The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...

. The intention behind an African mask is not to depict something realistic or naturalistic, as the African ideal aspires to capture the essence of the spirit represented. Therefore, abstraction and distortion are often seen. When a person wears the mask, that person takes on the entity that the mask represents, they become “one with the mask”, surrendering his body as not his own. The spirit of the mask takes up residence inside the person’s body while on earth. These masks are not considered in such lightheartedness, as a general costume might, they are held in high regard within the multiple communities of Africa.
Masquerades

Masquerade ball

A masquerade ball is an event which the participants attend in costume wearing a mask. - History :...

 are encompassing as a social gathering that encircles dancing and full-body fantastic costume wearing that also includes such masks. Together the people gathered at the event become a “band of spirits”; they are shown honor and reverence during their visitation here on Earth.

In addition to the masks and costumes worn during the masquerades, another vital component is the music

Music

Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

 and dance

Dance

Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....

used to create the atmosphere that is conducive to capturing the essence of the spirit. The highly sophisticated dance helps expand more of the character being portrayed. Throughout the ceremony, the actions of the dancer may be something entirely different than the person beneath would normally portray. Atmospheric circumstances are another essential element to the success of the masquerade. The right mood and setting add to and enhance the integrity of the performance, inviting the spirits to join. The audience’s participation from the sidelines only adds to the intensity of the masquerade - clapping, singing, and dancing, allowing themselves to feel the spirit’s presence. This strong relationship between human and spirits is the grand hallmark of the Northern Edo Masquerades.