This exceptional Oloko mask, carved for an Epa festival and attributed to Bámigbóyè, exemplifies the sculptor’s ability to condense a complex iconography into a single, vertically articulated form. The helmet mask itself forms the structural base. Its compact face features heavy-lidded, almond-shaped eyes and an intense expression. The domed crown, bearing remnants of pigment, testifies of repeated ritual activation. The surface bears the marks of time and handling, a patina that registers movement, sweat, and contact, evidence of a life lived in performance.

Above this foundation unfolds the sculptural core of the mask: a leopard grasping an antelope beneath it. The leopard, rendered with a taut body and pronounced, forward-facing eyes, embodies controlled aggression and authority. Its paws press firmly into the back of the antelope, establishing a moment of suspension rather than violent climax. The antelope, positioned directly underneath and slightly forward, is elongated and upright, its slender legs and poised stance lending the composition an unexpected equilibrium. Rather than collapsing under the predator’s weight, it appears to hold its position, transforming the scene from a literal act of domination into a symbolic configuration of power, restraint, and potentiality.

This pairing functions as the mask’s central axis. Bámigbóyè’s handling here is notably economical: anatomical details are reduced to essentials, yet posture and proportion convey clarity of intent. The negative space between legs and torsos is carefully calibrated, allowing light to pass through the structure and preventing visual congestion. Crowning the composition is a rooster, depicted in an upright stance and serrated crest. It is perched above the leopard, holding a snake, rendered as a sinuous, elongated form, in its beak. The act of grasping - beak holding serpent - echoes the earlier motif of containment and control seen in the leopard and antelope. The leopard’s sweeping tail rises behind these figures at the back, terminating in a subtle curl. This feature functioned as an attachment point for a live rooster, sacrificed during the performance, further binding sculptural form to ritual action.