A Study of the Aesthetics and Social Function of Egungun Masquerade Performances in Ogun State

Egungun masquerade constitutes one of the most visually elaborate and socially significant performance art traditions in Yoruba culture, and its specific aesthetic systems and social regulatory functions in Ogun State communities provide important material for creative arts scholarship. This study examined the aesthetics and social functions of Egungun masquerade performances in Abeokuta and Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, South West Nigeria. A qualitative ethnographic design was adopted, with participant observation of eight Egungun performances, structured interviews with ten masquerade custodians, six lineage heads, and twenty community members, and detailed photographic documentation of costume structures, masks, and performance movements. Thematic analysis was applied to interview transcripts and visual analysis to documentary materials. Results identified the Egungun costume as a multilayered visual system in which ancestral identity is encoded through specific fabric combinations, appliqué elements, and head construction styles that distinguish lineage affiliations. Social regulatory functions observed included mediation of community disputes, confirmation of traditional authority, and moral exhortation delivered through praise singing and satirical performance. Evidence of commercialisation was noted in two performances which incorporated entertainment elements aimed at tourist audiences without ceremonial framing. Community respondents expressed ambivalence about such adaptations. The study concludes that Egungun remains a living art form with substantial social relevance but is subject to commercialisation and religious opposition pressures. Recommendations include cultural heritage documentation by the Ogun State Council for Arts and Culture and school education on masquerade aesthetics.

Keywords: Egungun masquerade, Yoruba performance art, masquerade aesthetics, Ogun State, cultural heritage