Costume top

MediumDried fruit halves, fiber, cowrie shells, beads, and a coin

Dimensions9 x 10 1/2 inches (22.9 x 26.7 cm)

CultureNigeria, Yoruba people

ClassificationsCostume

Credit LineGift of William W. Brill

Terms

Nigeria
Sculpture
and fiber
Costume
Breasts
Yoruba

Object number89.015.008

Label CopyBRIEF DESCRIPTION Several Dogon masquerades feature young men performing as young women. The false breasts could have accompanied one of three or four different female characters. WHERE WAS IT MADE? The Dogon people live in Mali, on the West coast of Africa. HOW WAS IT MADE? A male blacksmith likely crafted this set of false breasts. These breasts are not carved from wood, but are made from two halves of the fruit of the baobab tree, held together with knotted fiber and adorned with cowrie shells, beads, and a coin. HOW WAS IT USED? Several Dogon masquerades feature young men performing as young women. The false breasts could have accompanied one of three or four different female characters. The most popular of these roles depicts a young Fulani (or Peul) woman. The Fulani are a nomadic people whose young women visit Dogon villages to sell milk from their herds. It is not uncommon for young Dogon men to have sexual encounters with these women, a practice which reinforces the physical appeal of young Fulani women. WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE THIS? Notice the many cowrie shells that cover the costume. Before the introduction of European coins to Mali, cowrie shells served as currency. Like these shells, the dangling French franc (dated 1948) at the back of the costume is both a representation of wealth and a bright ornament. The dried fruit halves (oro) were once silky-smooth, which lent to their intended sexual appeal. The complete costume would feature a fiber bede mask decorated with cowrie shells. If the breasts accompanied the Fulani woman masquerade, the mask would have featured an elegant braided coiffure in the form of a crest that runs from the forehead to the nape of the neck. The performer would also wear a short red fiber skirt and carry a milk jug and a flywhisk to complete the allusion to a Fulani woman. Fulani women have long been associated with the marketplace, a point of transition between nature and culture. The false breasts – a clear sign of nature – contrast with the cultural associations of the French franc, cowries, and the masquerade itself. Because Fulani women travel from one village to the next, Dogon people associate them with transitions; Fulani women were believed to serve as mentors to the souls of the deceased on the road to the spirit world. A Dogon funeral chant that describes the passage of the soul into the afterlife is referenced as “the straw hat of the Peul (Fulani).” Michael Foster ’07 conducted research for this description.

Collections

Africa