Although the headdress is based on the world of reality, it is not representational. It is unimportant for the figures to look like particular individuals. When a headdress is worn, the wearer's face is usually disguised by cloth. The purpose of the Epa headdress is to provide a temporary home for a spirit, and for the wearer to perform a ritual act for the benefit of his community. The Epa festival celebrates the chiefs, farmers, warrior, hunters, priests and women. Since Yoruba society is patrilineal, the role of women is depicted in Yoruba mythology with respect to fertility. Women play "a much more formidable role in Yoruba rituals than they do in political life of traditional society" (Delano 17).
A description of the art object under consideration will illustrate how it communicates the aesthetics of the Yoruba culture. When the male dancer appears at the festival, surrounded by his followers and wearing the tall, heavy headdress (the Epa headdress is among the largest of all headdresses and the esthetic merit of the headdress, while not the primary value of the object, is still important. As Susan Vogel explains, African artists place a high value on fine workmanship and mastery of the medium. The ritualistic purpose is primary but not sufficient to make an object valuable. Clarity of form and detail, complexity of composition, balance and symmetry and the smoothness of finish are highly valued as well by the culture.
masks), he receives salutations, praise names and songs. The lower, abstract helmet portion hides the dancer's face, allowing him to see through the mouth. This is in keeping with the aesthetic value of the art that stresses human relationships and activity in general, rather than the individual.
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