The success of ‘Tutu’ and its iconic status in Nigeria are, among other facts, due to the Igbo artist, Ben Enwonwu’s success in capturing the epitome of Yoruba femininity. Drewal noted that femininity and masculinity are defined around the concept of ori inun, the inner essence of each being. It is thought that among males, this essence is externalised as aggression or impetuosity where a woman’s inner essence is thought to be more internalised—accumulating an internal force that many fear as a potential source of aje (often translated as witchcraft). According to Drewal, this concept of femininity is illustrated by the gelede masquerade, where dances depicting male characters are typically aggressive while those depicting women are much more moderate.

The most important gelede mask is called Iyanla. It depicts an old woman and embodies, according to Drewal, the epitome of Yoruba womanhood. Because of its dangerous potential, the gaze of Iyanla cannot meet that of the members of the audience. To this aim, it is covered by a white veil during its dance.

Like the mask, Tutu’s gaze does not meet that of the viewer and her large shawl echoes the veil covering the Iyanla mask during its performances. The colours used by Enwonwu in ‘Tutu’—the white, grey and blue—belong to the Yoruba classes of light (funfun) and dark (dudu) colours particularly associated with composure, unlike the bright (pupa) colours, which are typically associated with male aggression. The smudging of Tutu’s colours onto the background of the painting gives the impression of an emanation of a life force from the character, which contrasts with her composure, echoing the conception of women as being externally calm but potentially dangerous due to their mastery of ‘witchcraft’.

The last fact probably contributed to the understanding of ‘Tutu’ as an epitome Yoruba womanhood. It deals with the name and nickname of the subject, Adetutu ‘Tutu’ Ademiluyi. Her name means ‘the crown~the comer is calm’ and the nickname ‘Tutu’ means ‘calm’, one of the qualities most associated with femininity among the Yoruba.

All these features have probably helped to make Tutu a success among the Yoruba, despite its creation by an Igbo artist only a few years after the civil war.