TITLE: Abakuá Íreme
TYPE: hood mask
GENERAL REGION: Caribbean
COUNTRY: Cuba
SUBREGION: Havana
ETHNICITY: Afro-Latino
DESCRIPTION: Cloth hood mask for Abakuá fraternal order
CATALOG ID: N/A
MAKER: N/A
CEREMONY: Various
FUNCTION: Protection/Purification; Secret Society; Spirit Invocation
AGE: N/A
MAIN MATERIAL: cotton cloth
OTHER MATERIALS: N/A

The Abakuá Fraternal Order organizes masked dances in Cuba to celebrate its Afro-Latino heritage, particularly by invoking the masked dances of northwest Africa from which many of the slaves brought by Spaniards came. The Abakuá íreme involves a ritual outfit with colorful cloth and bells to purify and protect the village, and which parades though the streets while dancing to drums and singers. The dancer represents a spiritual presence, either an ancestor spirit or a bush spirit.

In performances, the íreme interacts with drummers, singers, and attendants, responding to rhythms and calls that structure the event. The figure may carry implements used to mark space or guide participants, though their use is governed by convention. Speech, when present, is often mediated through whistles or set phrases rather than ordinary conversation, reinforcing anonymity.

The íreme’s role is not primarily entertainment. It functions within a framework of discipline, instruction, and community order, reflecting the society’s values and history. Public appearances are shaped by local regulations and custom, and meanings can vary by lodge and neighborhood. Descriptions by outsiders are partial, as many aspects are reserved for initiated members.

The Museum’s collection currently includes no representative example of any Cuban mask.