John Adetoyese Laoye I, Timi of Ede, during the Egungun masquerade, Ede, Nigeria

The photograph depicts John Adetoyese Laoye I, Timi of Ede, wearing "crown made of leopard skin, one of the three symbols that reflect the story of origin from Old Oyo. It affirms that the origin of the leadership was military and not a part of the ritual dissemination of authority from Ife." [Roy Sieber, 1973: Ede, Crafts and Surveys. pp.45-49. Summer 1973. African Arts]. During his trip to Nigeria, Elisofon visited Ede, one of oldest towns of Yoruba people; founded by Timi Agbale to establish a settlement to protect the Oyo caravan route to Benin. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon traveled to Africa from March 17, 1970 to July 17, 1970.