This traditional Ekiti mask was part of the private collection of Bruno Claessens, a renowned dealer present at fairs such as Brafa, Tefaf, and Parcours des Mondes, to name just a few. It then passed through the hands of Ann de Pauw, Gallery Amma (Antwerp), and through various private collections in Belgium, the United States, and France. Its traceability in terms of provenance is quite remarkable. This mask is also listed in the HDRC database under the number ao-0111082-001.

The state is very rich in culture. They have their own unique traditional way of : Clothing, dances, festivals, religion and other ways of life. As listed below : The rulers of the towns are Obas like in other Yoruba towns.

Traditionally, the natural rulers of Ekiti State, whose people are Yoruba, are generally described as sacred or divine kings. Their installation and coronation are accompanied by solemn and lengthy rites that set them apart.

They then lead an orderly ceremonial existence, secluded in their palaces, subject to the many court rituals and approached by the authorities. the many court rituals are approached only with infinite respect. They rarely appeared in public, except on ceremonial occasions.

According to ancient customs, the Obas were not only the rulers of their cities and kingdoms, but through their personifications, they also reincarnated all their ancestors from the origin of the dynasties.

They are also the titular heads of all the religious ensembles in their kingdoms. Their appointments are made in part by divination.

The sacredness of their mode means that they are regarded by their people as a deity, and they are the sources of honour, capable of conferring titles and chieftaincies. 

The Obas are also the source of justice.

Within the framework of the state, the Obas are not supposed to take part in partisan politics. The palaces of traditional leaders are symbolic relics of the culture and tradition of the people.

Some of the palaces in Ekiti State are Ado's Ewi Palace, Ikole's Elekole Palace, Oore's Palace, Otun's Palace, Awo Ekiti's Alawo Palace and a host of others...

The Yoruba people are an ethnic group from southwestern and north-central Nigeria and southern and central Benin.
The Yoruba religion comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practices of the Yoruba people. Its homeland is in southwestern Nigeria and adjacent areas of Benin and Togo, an area known as Yorubaland. The Yoruba religion is made up of various traditions and has no single founder. The religious beliefs of the Yoruba are part of the itan - the set of songs, stories, narratives and other cultural concepts that constitute Yoruba religion and society.

It is one of the rare Yoruba masks where one usually finds traces of sacrificial uses, which is the case for this one. 

The body of the drum is made from a calabash, a dried gourd, and is covered with a stretched membrane, likely animal skin. The upper edge is decorated with colorful beads and cowrie shells, typical of ritual and ceremonial instruments.

These drums are often used in ritual, ceremonial, or festive contexts. They can accompany dances, songs, and serve in rites of passage or other significant social events.

Calabash drums decorated in this manner are common among several ethnic groups such as the Yoruba, Bamiléké, and other peoples of West and Central Africa.