This wooden mask originates from modern Edo society and has been carved for sale to Europeans. However, masks play an important role in Edo ritual society. As with many masquerade cultures in Africa, masks in Edo represent the presence of a spirit, with different masks being used to represent different types of spirit. It was lent to the Danford Collection by H.A. Lidderdale in 1968 and was acquired by bequest in 1992.