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Julien Gauthier

A large Tagbana helmet mask, Collected in the Sinematiali region, Cote d'Ivoire. Ritual patina; signs of ritual use and age. Incl stand.

Tagbana helmet masks, originating from the Tagbana (or Tagwana) people of central Côte d’Ivoire, are part of a relatively little-documented but richly layered ritual tradition tied to initiation, social control, and spiritual mediation. The Tagbana are part of the larger Senufo-Mandé cultural and linguistic complex, occupying a transitional zone between northern Mande-speaking groups and southern Senufo-speaking populations. Their artistic production, while sometimes stylistically aligned with their neighbors, retains distinct features, particularly in the case of their helmet masks, which play central roles in male initiation and communal protection rituals.
Tagbana helmet masks are typically large, full-headed constructions carved from a single piece of wood and worn over the entire head. These masks are not portraits, but symbolic representations of spiritual entities, ancestral forces, or bush spirits. They often feature a powerful and abstracted form, incorporating both anthropomorphic and zoomorphic elements; such as stylized faces, horns, snouts, tusks, or crest-like projections, depending on the spiritual being invoked. These hybrid forms underscore the belief that the mask wearer becomes a liminal figure, standing between the human and spirit worlds.

The use of these masks is closely associated with initiation societies, particularly those responsible for guiding boys into adulthood. During initiation cycles, young men are secluded from the village and instructed in the moral, spiritual, and historical values of their community. The helmet mask—worn by senior society members or spiritual intermediaries—appears during key public performances or private ceremonies to embody powerful guardian forces that oversee the process and enforce social cohesion.
These helmet masks are also activated during funerals, healing rites, and moments of social crisis, when the community seeks spiritual reinforcement. Their presence is meant to drive away malevolent forces, restore cosmic balance, and ensure ancestral favor. In some contexts, they may also appear during harvest celebrations or rites of renewal, where their dance and movement evoke fertility, continuity, and protection.

Aesthetically, Tagbana helmet masks are often more architectonic and massive than the face masks of neighboring groups. They tend to emphasize bold, simplified forms, with pronounced volume and symmetry. Eyes may be tubular or slit-shaped, mouths may show stylized teeth or be covered, and surfaces may be darkly patinated or painted with earth pigments. In many examples, horns or animal motifs, such as antelope, buffalo, or warthog, are carved atop or integrated into the mask’s superstructure. These elements signify strength, alertness, and other qualities associated with wild bush spirits (kpon) who must be domesticated through ritual.
Though fewer Tagbana masks are found in Western collections compared to those of the Senufo or Baule, they have entered major museum holdings and have sometimes been misattributed due to stylistic similarities with their neighbors. Yet they retain a distinctive sculptural grammar—often more severe and compact—that sets them apart from the more elaborately decorated Baule or the elongated refinement of Senufo kpeliyehe masks. In their density and intensity, Tagbana helmet masks speak to a sculptural vision grounded in spiritual confrontation rather than aesthetic beauty alone.

Colonial interference and the spread of Christianity and Islam in the 20th century led to the decline of many masking traditions among the Tagbana, especially in urban and semi-urban contexts. However, in rural areas, these helmet masks continue to appear in ritual performances, and their cultural memory remains embedded in oral traditions, proverbs, and lineage histories. Where active, they remain guarded and highly respected, often restricted to male society members and elders.

These masks stand as both spiritual instruments and artistic documents—emblems of a worldview in which the mask is not an object but a living presence, animated by dance, music, and ritual utterance, and through which the invisible forces shaping Tagbana life are made visible and negotiable.

References:

Bochet, Claude. Masques de Côte d’Ivoire. Éditions Karthala, 2006.
Kerchache, Jacques (ed.). L’Art africain. Éditions Mazenod, 1988.
Glaze, Anita J. Art and Death in a Senufo Village. Indiana University Press, 1981.
Gottschalk, Burkhard. Die Kunst der Elfenbeinküste: Meisterwerke aus deutschen Sammlungen. Prestel Verlag, 1990.
Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Tagbana object records.
Leloup, Hélène. Field notes and oral documentation from central Côte d’Ivoire, 1970s.
National Museum of Abidjan – Tagbana collections and curatorial files.

Height: 42 cm without stand

Træ - Rimelig stand

Et træmask - Tagbana - Elfenbenskysten  (Ingen mindstepris)

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Et træmask - Tagbana - Elfenbenskysten (Ingen mindstepris)

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