The Yoruba are one of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, concentrated in the south of the country.
Archeological evidence suggests that they have lived in the general area since prehistoric times.
At one time of considerable power and importance, the Yoruba kingdom broke up through a series of wars for which the slave trade was partly responsible. The Yoruba people divided into numerous independent kingdoms that share an origin myth, but probably have never belonged to a political unit. A woman's status derives largely from her reputation in trading, her craftsmanship, and her wealth, rather than her husband's importance. Since the principal occupation of Yoruba women is trading, many Gelede masks depict marketwomen. These women are economically independent of their husbands and have the potential to earn even more money than the husband.